Son of a Witch: Wands and Warriors
by the8thDragonball
Summary: Gohan thought that ninety percent of his weirdness could be blamed on his father's genes, but as it turns out his mother has some pretty crazy secrets as well. Secrets that land her son in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1. Wrath of Son Chichi

_Dear Readers,_

_First of all, thanks for the interest in this story! While I'm not a new writer, this account is new, and I've never written for either Dragonball Z or Harry Potter, and I know that crossovers like these- especially from an author no one knows- aren't exactly popular, so I'm grateful if anybody's willing to give this fic a chance._

_This story takes advantage of some of the plot holes we've all seen in DBZ and my passionate, almost obsessive love for the Son family in general and Gohan specifically. It deals a lot with Chichi's life before Goku, and the growth Gohan goes through in the seven years after the Cell Games. I'll be going by the DBZ Dub timeline, so Gohan's 11 years old (after the Hyperbolic Time Chamber) and Cell was beaten only a few months before this story starts, just a little while after Gohan's birthday in May. There's a few tweaks I'm going to be making that you should be aware of in regards to the DBZ 'verse. The biggest of which are;_

_* In this story, the DBZ world is situated on a large land mass in the Atlantic Ocean near Europe. Known as Chikyuu, this land is inaccessible and unknown to almost all the rest of the world, and hosts a number of incredible creatures, people and places who came to Chikyuu centuries before the start of the story after being offered refuge by a powerful witch who claimed it would be a place where they could freely be themselves without discrimination or threat. It is extremely difficult to go to or depart from Chikyuu, but the people of Chikyuu are at least relatively aware of the world outside of their land. In Muggle lore, the Chikyuu Continent is better known as the 'Lost' Continent of Atlantis._

_* Though it is not evident in the dub, in the original Japanese storyline Chichi, Goku and most of the other residents of Mt. Paozu speak in a dialect. I have a weakness for accents, since I feel that they add a certain flavor to a character and tell you a lot about who they are and where they're from, so I'll be keeping the dialect in this story. I apologize in advance if this makes the story harder to read, but I feel that the accents are an important part of the characters that the Dub should not have left out in the first place._

_That should be everything for now. I'm sorry for wasting so much time and space with this nonsense, but I didn't want to start the story before explaining these things. Please enjoy this work of fiction, and give me a review as feedback, if you would be so kind! Thanks again for the interest!_

_Lotsa Love,_

_TheEightDragonball_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1- The Wrath of Son Chichi<strong>

* * *

><p>It was the little things that were most painful sometimes.<p>

For nearly two months now Chichi had to try and adjust to the fact that her husband wasn't coming back to life ever again. Well, 'adjust' wasn't really the right word; it would probably be a little more appropriate to say that she diligently ignored the horrible way her heart broke a little more with every breath she took. After all, she was widowed at the age of twenty eight with an emotionally shattered son who blamed himself for his father's death. Which was why she couldn't let herself dwell on her own loss, not when Gohan still needed so much help dealing with his.

But sometimes, Chichi would be going through old clothes in the closet and catch a whiff of the unique scent of forest, old sweat and assorted spices that would always remind her of her husband. Sometimes the growling of a predator in the woods would sound remarkably like the noise Goku's stomach would make while he was pouting at her and whining for food. Sometimes, she's roll over in the middle of a cold night to try and find warmth in a body that was no longer there.

And in the moments after these 'sometimes' she'd realize what she was doing, and it would feel as though she had lost Goku all over again. Like right now.

"I'm so, SO sorry Mom!" Gohan flustered, trying in vain to clean up the horrific mess that had been Son Chichi's formerly spotless kitchen. It took Chichi a second to find her voice as she shook of the pangs of déjà vu, ignoring the memory that tickled at the back of her mind of the day after she'd come back home after giving birth to Gohan to find her home in a similar state of disarray and her husband looking just as out of his element as her son did now.

"'S fine, Gohan." Chichi said, trying to smile at her son. She knew Gohan probably just wanted to surprise her with breakfast, and she was honestly touched by the gesture, but the unintentional reminder of her husband just made her chest throb painfully and her eyes prick with tears. "Really, ya don't hafta worry about it, I'll get-!"

"But you're not feeling well!" Gohan scolded her fussily. "I heard you getting sick last night!"

"Gohan, it was justa stomachache." Chichi scoffed, an honest smile working its way to her face. The hovering habit her son had developed since Goku had died was heartbreaking and amusing all at once. At eleven years old, Gohan was a remarkably mature and dependable boy, two traits he had most certainly not inherited from his goofy, loveable father. Even before they had married, Chichi knew that Goku had a tendency to be irresponsible and impulsive, so from day one she had stepped up to be the sensible one in the house. The one who kept things clean and managed the money that Goku had won from the tournament and planned out everything to make sure that there would always be a roof over their heads and food on their table. Even when she was pregnant, Chichi was still cooking and cleaning and keeping everything ship-shape, right up until her water broke and Goku flew her to the nearest hospital at supersonic speed.

Chichi's smile widened a bit as she thought that wonderful, painful and terrifying day, and of the way her husband- Mr. Big, Strong Savior of the World- had looked down at his infant son when Gohan had first been placed into his arms. Never in her life had she seen anyone so awestruck, so overcome with joy and terror and pride and humility all at once. In that moment, Chichi knew that Gohan would always be Goku's greatest weakness, and the greatest incentive he could ever have to be stronger. And in return, Gohan grew up to adore his father with all his heart and soul.

"But what if it gets worse if you overwork yourself? You need to rest, mom. I got this, I promise!" Gohan insisted, practically shoving Chichi into the nearest chair before turning to start picking through the mess to see what could be saved. Chichi was torn between laughing and screaming at her son's overprotective attitude, but did neither. She knew Gohan didn't mean any harm with his hovering. He just wanted to make sure she was okay.

After all, Goku's last request before his death was for Gohan to take care of her.

_Big oaf. Ya should be here ta do that yerself._ Chichi thought, her laugher dying away at that thought. Despite her constant assurances to everyone that she was fine and that she was coping with Goku's death well, Chichi knew that nothing could be further from the truth. She was far worse this time than she was with Goku's first death. At least then, she knew from the start that he'd be back. In those days, she had pushed aside all her feelings except for her anger at Goku for dying and allowing his arch nemesis to steal their child and the terror that gripped her at the thought of seeing her baby on the same bloody, violent road his father travelled, not wanting to dwell on anything else for fear that she couldn't handle it. What she had gone through in that lonely year without her husband and son was nothing like guilt and silent suffering that she felt now.

As hard as it was for her though, Goku's death was a near fatal blow for their eldest son. Gohan hero-worshipped his father, something Chi-chi knew better than anybody. Ironically, the only other person he admired as much was the surly alien warrior who had once tried to murder Goku and take over the world (Chichi still wasn't thrilled about that. The others might have been willing to let old grudges die and forgive Piccolo, but it was her family that he had dragged into danger, thank-you-very-much, and she wasn't going to forget that any time soon). As much as she loved Gohan and as much as Gohan loved her, she knew that there were bonds between her husband and son that she could never understand, even if she had her whole life to observe them. Perhaps it was a saiyan thing, but Chichi sort of doubted that since the only other saiyan she knew was hardly Father-of-the-Year material. Though Bulma had told her that Vegeta was getting better around Trunks (or at least making an _effort_ now), Chichi had yet to be impressed by the former Prince's paternal instincts.

No, Goku and Gohan's bond wasn't some weird alien thing or other such nonsense. It was purely the fact that her boys _got_ each other in ways that outsiders could never understand. They were so proud of the other's accomplishments, so excited just to spend time with one another, whether they were sparring in preparation for some global evil that threatened to destroy all of mankind or simply fishing the day away on the shore of the lake by their home. Goku and Gohan connected, in ways that made even Chichi feel left out every now and then.

"Um, mom? I don't think this is salvageable… S-should I just throw it out, or…?" Gohan broken into her musing meekly, holding up a warped metal… _thing_ that Chichi rather hoped wasn't her good stainless steel pot. Chichi stared at the melted cookware for a few moments before a steely glint entered her eyes and she stood up sharply, making her oldest son jolt in shock. "Mom? What-?"

"Get yer shoes, Gohan. We're goin' on a picnic." Chichi said breezily as she unearthed a sturdy wicker basket from the closet and started filling it with various things. Gohan gaped incredulously at the dangerously temperamental woman for a moment before finding his voice.

"…What?"

"Don't pretend ya didn't hear me, Gohan. We're goin' fer a picnic!" Chichi had to get out of the house, she'd go mad if she didn't. The fresh air and exercise would do her some good. Gohan too, for that matter. They both needed to escape Goku's ghost for a day…

"…For _breakfast_?"

"Yer point?" Chichi countered with a shrug. Over a decade of experience had taught her that saiyans didn't much mind when or where food was served, and it would make for a fresh experience. She hadn't done anything spontaneous or silly in _years_, and the feeling was long overdue.

"But what about the mess?"

"Leave it." The woman ordered, making her son look at her like she'd just sprouted a second head out of her elbow. "We'll deal with it when we get back. Right now, I just wanna lil' family time, just the two of us."

"I'm not in trouble, am I?" Gohan asked warily. His mother was acting out of sorts, after all, so he was a little concerned this was some sort of elaborate punishment. Granted, those weren't Chichi's style, but his mom could do some pretty strange things sometimes.

"No, but ya will be if ya don't listen ta me 'n get ready, young man." Chichi said sternly, fixing her dark eyes on her son with a glare that promised bad things if he kept questioning her. Wisely, Gohan dropped the subject, scurrying off to the room to get his shoes. Chichi smiled smugly as she watched them go before she turned back to packing their breakfast.

_Yep, I still got it._ She thought gleefully. Now that she had frightened her insanely powerful son into listening to her without question, there was absolutely nothing that could go wrong with her scheme to get the two of them away from the depression and guilt they were wallowing in, if even just for a day. She and Gohan were going to have a nice, normal morning out.

And Dende help anyone who tried to get in the way of that.

* * *

><p><em>Mom's smiling again.<em>

Gohan couldn't help but grin himself at this observation as he glanced over his shoulder at the woman following him back to their home, their picnic done and a damaged kitchen waiting to be cleaned. Amazingly enough, Chichi had been in an oddly good mood this whole morning. She didn't scream at him for destroying half the house trying to make breakfast, brought them outside to enjoy their meal surrounded by nature and even entertained him with stories of his grandpa and the childhood she had in the Ox Kingdom.

Gohan had been reduced to tears of laugher at a particularly funny tale about how his mother had gotten lost in the mountains trying to find a flower and wound up accidentally getting engaged to some sort of lizard man. Chichi had tried to explain to the guy that she was already engaged, but the lizard wouldn't take no for an answer, and thus Chichi had to resort to force to get him to let her go, and THEN spent years trying to get the guy to lose interest. Finally, the lizard managed to find a frog woman he fell madly in love with and, regretfully, broke off his engagement with Chichi. According to Chichi, she cried harder than anyone else at the wedding, and didn't bother to correct the lovesick idiot when he mistook her tears of relief for sorrow.

It was the most animated that Chichi had been in a while now, and Gohan couldn't pretend that he wasn't relieved.

_She hasn't even said anything about my schoolwork._ Gohan thought, slightly amazed by this fact. Chichi had made it her life's mission to make sure that Gohan had safer career options than a life as a fighter, after all, and if he were honest with himself, even he knew he had been neglecting his books since his father's death.

That thought had the smile dropping from Gohan's lips, his energetic pace slowing until Chichi cuffed him on the back of the head in censure.

"Come on, Gohan! That kitchen's not gonna clean itself, ya know!" The mother scolded smartly.

"Yeah, coming!" Gohan said, forcing a smile back onto his lips before Chichi could notice his mood and ask what was wrong. He couldn't risk upsetting his mother, not when she was finally acting happy again…

"Honestly though, I dunno how ya can catch 'n cook yer food over an open flame for a whole year when ya were four, but one mornin' in my kitchen has the place lookin' like a bomb went off." Chichi huffed, a smile still on her lips even as she scolded the boy. Gohan wrinkled his nose in response.

"I didn't have to deal with stoves and all those instructions out on my own." He defended himself.

"This comin' from the boy who built a robot outta broken toys when he was six?" Chichi countered, chuckling as Gohan blushed brightly.

Gohan was about to try and defend himself again when suddenly the boy drew up short, a puzzled look on his face. Seeing how serious Gohan looked, Chichi paused, growing concerned when her son turned sharp eyes in the direction of their house.

"Gohan…?" Chichi ventured cautiously, hoping against hope that their peace wasn't about to come to an abrupt end.

"Someone's at our house." Gohan said quietly, sounding far more serious then an eleven year old should.

"What?" Chichi said, turning to try and see for herself despite knowing that the house was still quite a ways out of sight. "Someone… Maybe it's one 'a Goku's friends again?" The rest of the warriors had gotten into the habit of checking on Gohan to make sure he was holding up okay. Though she had never really gotten all that chummy with most of Goku's friends, she prayed that their unexpected visitor was one of them. So when Gohan shook his head in response to her question, Chichi's heart sank down to her feet.

"I've never felt this ki before. Whoever it is, they're not a warrior, but they're… strange. And they just appeared out of nowhere, like they Instant Transmitted or something." Gohan frowned in concentration at whatever he was sensing before a surprised look overtook his face. "They're gone now. They just stood outside our door for a few minutes and left the same way they came."

"That… um… maybe it was a salesperson?" The excuse sounded lame even to Chichi's ears, but anything was better than the thought of something that would drag her baby back into the same violence and bloodshed that had claimed his father's life twice now.

"I'm going to go ahead and check it out, Mom. You-"

"Yer not goin' ANYWHERE without me, Son Gohan!" Chichi barked, glaring down at her child.

"But what if-?"

"Now ya listen ta me, mister! I'm the parent here and yer only eleven years old, so if ya think yer goin' ta fly off inta danger by yerself, ya gotta 'nother thing coming! I don't care if ya beat a monster that was tryin' to destroy the world with only one good arm, Ya. Ain't. Goin'. ANYWHERE. Without. ME!" Chichi was only vaguely aware of how hysterical she sounded as she was screaming these words at her son in the middle of the forest, but she didn't particularly care. Sure, there wasn't much she could do to help her son against anything that was strong enough to be a threat to him, but at least being with him was better than running through the forest on her own, half-blind with the terror of finding Gohan missing or dead when she reached their home.

"Y-yes ma'am." Gohan said meekly, knowing better then to argue with his mom when she got that look in her eyes. After getting a hold on Chichi's waist, Gohan took to the skies heading towards their house, sharp eyes scanning the forest below for anything abnormal.

Despite their worries, everything looked normal when Gohan and Chichi landed in their front yard. The house and the forest around it were completely undisturbed, and there were nothing even remotely threatening lurking around anywhere. That didn't make Gohan feel any more at ease about the matter, though Chichi seemed to calm down some when she failed to find any evidence that they're home had been intruded upon by unnatural forces like her son claimed.

"Are ya sure that ya sensed somethin', Gohan?" Chichi asked, feeling a bit annoyed at being frightened over nothing.

"Of course." Gohan replied with a frown. He didn't make mistakes, not when it came to sensing ki. He's been doing it since he was four, after all, and had picked up the skill under the strict tutelage of his Nemekian mentor. Piccolo wouldn't have rested until he knew Gohan's ability to sense his enemy was absolutely perfect.

_Maybe they did something to the house?_ Gohan wondered, turning a cautious eye to his home. Deciding to check it out before Chichi could do it herself, the boy hastily made his way to the front door, lifting a hand to turn the knob for entrance when…

CRUNCH!

Startled, the boy looked down at his feet to see what he had stepped on, blinking in surprise at the thick envelope that was caught under his shoe, made of what looked like old parchment paper. After hesitating for a second, Gohan bent to pick the object up, his confusion growing as he noted that it was indeed a letter.

_Who'd send a letter to our house?_ Gohan thought, baffled. The Son family didn't have many close acquaintances, and the ones they did have would have visited rather than sending them mail. Bulma even hand delivered the invitation to the wedding she and Vegeta would having at the end of the month (and even now Gohan didn't have a clue as to how the heiress managed to talk Vegeta of all people into getting married).

Studying the letter more closely, Gohan's eyebrow rose as he took in the wax seal, which featured a stylized H surrounded by a lion, a snake, a badger and a raven. He didn't even realize that people still used seals in this day and age… Amused, Gohan turned the letter over to check the return address to see where the letter had come from.

His shock returned full force when he saw the emerald green writing on the front of the envelope.

_Mr. G. Son_

_2__nd__ Bedroom on the Ground Floor_

_Forest Near the Foot of Mt. Paozu_

_439 East District Area_

_Chikyuu_

"Gohan? Whatcha got there?" Chichi asked, seeing the letter that had captured her son's attention. Jumping slightly, Gohan blushed before hastily handing the thick envelope over to his mother for her to inspection.

"Um, it's a letter. I think it's for me, but it's addressed… kinda weird…" Gohan told her, still a little confused at the mildly creepy address. Granted, he probably would have figured it was meant for his dad if they hadn't mentioned his bedroom, since 'G. Son' seemed more likely to be Goku then Gohan. "Maybe Krillen left it as a joke or something… what do you think, mom?" Turning to get Chichi's opinion Gohan's eyes widened in alarm when he saw that his mother's face had gone white as a sheet. "Mom! Are you alright? What-?"

"Gohan." Chichi said, cutting him off abruptly. "Go pack a bag. We're gonna stay at yer grandpa's fer a little while."

"Is something wrong, mom?" Gohan asked, glancing at the letter again. "Wait, mom… do you know who sent that?" Chichi didn't respond to her son's question, hastily tucking the letter away out of Gohan's sight as if half afraid he'd be able to peer through the envelope and see the contents of the letter.

"Never mind Gohan, just go get yer things t'gether." Chichi said hastily, shooting Gohan a look that implored him to listen to her demand. Protests dying in his throat, Gohan nodded meekly at the woman and turned to enter the house. Once he was out of sight, Chichi turned back to the letter with a dark scowl, the envelope crumpling in her grip.

_Not on yer life, Dumbledore._ Chichi thought bitterly as she shoved the abused letter into the pocket of her dress before following her son into the house, protective instincts at full kilter. _I'm NOT gonna to let ya steal my baby away from me…_

* * *

><p>Gohan kept a nervous eye on his mother as the two of them climbed out of the Capsule car, the half saiyan carrying both of their overnight bags as they made their way to the front doors of the Ox King's Castle. Chichi was acting strangely again, and not in a good way this time. First, she hadn't tried to make Gohan pack any of his schoolwork, first aid kits or protective gear when they left their house, just clothes and other essentials, which relieved and concerned the hybrid at the same time. Then she been jumpy and overly paranoid the whole drive to the Ox Kingdom, looking over her shoulder constantly and nearly plowing into the face of a mountain more than once. Gohan even had to blast a hole into one to keep them from getting killed, scaring some poor dinosaurs half to death. Gohan had tried to reassure her that they weren't being followed at least a hundred times before he finally gave up and focused on stopping Chichi from killing them or some innocent animal with her lead foot.<p>

_That's it, there's definitely something weird going on with that letter that mom doesn't want me to know about._ Gohan thought, darting forward to catch some poor maid Chichi bowled over in her mad rush to get to her father. Flashing the woman a weak smile and murmuring a hasty apology, Gohan hurried to keep up with the woman.

"Gohan! Chichi!" Ox King bellowed happily as he bound towards his daughter and grandson. "Well, this is a surprise! What brings ya two ta Ox Kingdom?"

"We gotta problem, dad." Chichi answered severely, shooting a nervous glance towards Gohan.

"Problem?" Ox King's smile fell away into a concerned frown. "More aliens? Or androids? Is someone tryin' ta destroy the world again?"

"No, Grandpa." Gohan assured the man hastily with a guilty flinch. It said something about their lives when someone just had to say the word 'problem' and everyone's minds went straight to potential apocalypses… "I got a weird letter today, and I think it scared mom a bit."

"…A letter?" Ox King repeated, sounding justifiably baffled. After all, Gohan had faced down aliens, monsters, androids and a whole array of freaks and come out relatively unfazed, so the thought of a letter being associated with any sort of problem was strange to say the least. As Ox King turned a confused expression to his daughter in hopes of getting some sort of explanation, Chichi wordlessly pulled the letter in question out of her pocket and held it out to the gigantic man in front of her.

As soon as Ox King's eyes fell on the emerald green ink, his face when disturbingly blank.

Narrowing his eyes, Gohan looked between his mother and grandfather, sensing that something was going on and feeling frustrated at being kept out of the loop, even though it involved him.

"You guys know what this letter's about, don't you." It wasn't a question. Gohan would've had to have been an idiot not to see how affected his family was by the mere envelope, to say nothing of whatever it contained. Ox King's eyes went wide at Gohan's accusation, and he turned to Chichi with a sharp look.

"Ya still haven't told-?"

"Gohan sweetie, go find yer room and put yer things away." Chichi ordered softly, sounding drained as she cut her father off. Temper rising, Gohan stood his ground, giving his mother a hard look.

"Not until I know what's going on." He extorted, earning him a sharp glare from his mom. "That letter was for me, right? So all this involves me. Don't I deserve to know what's happening?"

"Don't talk ta me like that, young man!" Chichi snapped back. "I'm yer mother, and I know what's best for ya! Now go find a room and do yer studies like a good boy, and not another word about that letter!"

"Gohan." Ox King broke in, cutting off Gohan's argument before he could start. "Please, just do what she's askin' for now. We'll let ya know what this is all about later, 'kay?" Gohan's growing anger cooled at the pained look his grandfather was giving him, leaving only an uncomfortable pain of guilt in its wake as he realized how much this was upsetting his family. Nodding meekly, the demi-saiyan easily shouldered his bags and headed up the stairs to find the room he usually claimed on the rare occasions his family visited Fire Mountain.

As much as Gohan desperately wanted to know what was going on, there was no way he could callously force his family to tell him, not when it was so obviously something that hurt them deeply. Especially his mom. Gohan knew how much Chichi had gone through these past few years because of him and his dad, and he couldn't bear the thought of making her suffer any more then he already had unless it was a life or death situation. No, Gohan was far too noble for something like that.

…Didn't mean he was above eavesdropping, though.

Thanking all the gods that he knew personally and several more he hadn't had the chance to meet yet that his mother and grandfather had never gotten the hang of sensing ki, and even giving a grudging nod of gratitude to his saiyan heritage for giving him such sharp hearing, Gohan sat crouched outside the door of his grandfather's office listening to the heavy footfall of the Ox King as he paced across the floor.

"I don't understand… How'd this happen?" Ox King asked anxiously. "Didn't ya say ya were gonna make sure Gohan wouldn't get it?"

"'Course I did!" Chichi responded, a touch defensively. "I did everythin' I could ta keep 'im from gettin' it! Ya think I wanted my son ta inherit that curse? There's gotta be some sorta mistake! He doesn't have it, I woulda noticed if he did!"

"Dumbledore ain't the kinda man to make mistakes 'bout somethin' like that, Chichi." The Ox King said with a heavy sigh. Gohan blinked. Dumbledore? And what was this curse his mom was talking about?

"He's up to somethin'. Schemin' again!" Chichi scoffed angrily. "He ain't goin'. Gohan 'n I are finally gettin' our lives back on track now that all that android nonsense is over 'n Cell's gone. Nobody's gonna take my baby from me again after all of that!"

"Chichi, he's gotta go, ya know that. If he really does have-"

"He doesn't have it!" Chichi hissed. "It's impossible! The chances were less than 2%, 'n even then if somethin' had leaked through, he'd practically be a Squib! There's no way he'd have enough for them ta spot 'im!"

…_Squib? _Gohan repeated, confused. That was a word he'd never heard before. And what was all this about him going somewhere? And what didn't he have? Or apparently, he did have it, if this Dumbledore guy wanted him to go somewhere his mom didn't want him going…

…Great. Now he was starting to give himself a headache.

"Then why'd he get this letter, Chichi?" Ox King demanded. It sounded like he was starting to get upset which was rare for the happy-go-lucky giant.

"Dumbledore must be tryin' ta trick me inta comin' back or somethin'. I bet he's countin' on the fact that if he takes Gohan, I'll return ta that world ta make sure he's okay."

"Oh cummon, Chichi!" Ox King said, sounding exasperated. "Yer mom spoke very highly of Dumbledore, 'n I've never hadda reason ta think that he'd do somethin' that underhanded!"

"Mom was killed 'cause of them, Dad!" Chichi reminded Ox King sharply. "'N I'm not gonna let them have Gohan, too. He doesn't have it, I know he doesn't!"

"At least let 'im know-!"

"NO!" Chichi said, slamming her hand hard against a desk. "I can't tell 'im now, Dad! He's goin' through so much right now, 'n I-!"

"This has nothin' ta do with what Gohan's goin' through and ya know it." Ox King said, his voice laced with heavy disapproval. "Yer scared he'll get angry or reject ya if ya tell 'im ya've been keepin' somethin' like this a secret from 'im 'n 'is father since before he was born. This is why I told ya ta tell Goku when ya two got married, like ya were supposed ta."

"I didn't think it'd be an issue, dad!" Chichi snapped defensively. "I'm as good as dead ta that world, 'n I'm happier fer it! Lily was the only decent thing that came outta that nonsense, 'n she understood why I wanted no part 'a that fer me 'n my family!"

"Ya need ta at least give 'im a choice, Chichi. He deserves that, just like ya did. Ya can't let yer fears keep Gohan from such a big opportunity."

"An opportunity fer what? More danger 'n people tryin' ta take advantage of 'im? I think Goku's friends have that cornered, dad." Chichi said, a bitterness seeping into her tone that made Gohan flinch. He knew Chichi was still holding a grudge with the guys for everything he'd been through, especially Piccolo.

"Chichi-!"

"No, dad. I ain't changin' my mind. Not about this. Gohan can make so much more a' his life then just bein' a pawn fer other people! I'm sendin' a letter to Dumbledore tonight sayin' he ain't goin' to Hogwarts, 'n that's that!" Chichi emphasized this statement with another hard slam on the desk, which seemed to be the last the poor, abused furniture could handle judging by the terrific crash that followed. Sensing that his mother was starting to make her way out of the office, Gohan fled for the room he had claimed before he could get caught snooping and forced to suffer his mother's punishing wrath. As soon as the door to his room closed behind him, Gohan breathed a sigh of relief before pausing to mull over what he had heard.

_Hogwarts…_ Gohan mused, trying to remember if he had ever heard of such a place before. Drawing up a blank, the young half saiyan frowned thoughtfully to himself. Whatever this Hogwarts place was, his mother and grandfather seemed at odds about him going. If Grandpa thinks I should go, then it's probably not anything bad. I wonder what mom has against it, though. I mean, there has to be a reason she's this worked up about it, right?

Well, it didn't matter one way or another, he guessed. His mother had decided that he wasn't going to this Hogwarts place, and once Son Chichi made up her mind there was nothing and no one that could make her change it. This whole thing would probably blow over in a couple days, and he and his mother would be back in their home on Mount Paozu before the week's end.

Figuring that it was best to just put his mother's odd behavior behind him for now, Gohan began preparing for bed, hoping that Chichi would be more willing to talk in the morning. After he finished dressing, Gohan climbed into bed, rolling over to face the window so he could see the stars, a habit he'd formed after his time under Piccolo's tutelage. As his eyes grew heavy with fatigue, Gohan gazed out belligerently at the darkened night sky, watching as clouds rolled in to blot the waning moon from sight and an owl flew silently over the trees and towards the horizon.

* * *

><p>Gohan woke up the next morning with an odd feeling of wrongness. Opening his eyes, the young half saiyan was momentarily confused by his surroundings before the memories of the previous day came back to him and his apprehension faded. Crawling out from underneath his blanket, Gohan made his way over to get dressed, eager to meet his mother down in the dining hall to finally get some answers. Maybe after a good night's rest, Chichi would be a little more willing to open up about what was going on…<p>

This hope died a horrible, cruel death as soon as Gohan entered the dining room and laid eyes on his mother.

Son Chichi was a mess. All of the proud woman's traditional Asian beauty was lost to unkempt hair that stuck out at odd angles, sickly pale skin and bloodshot eyes with visible bags. None of this was made better by the fact that she had an irritated snarl on her face that made Gohan decide that maybe bugging her wouldn't be the best idea after all.

Ox King seemed to think so too. He was sitting a few seats away from his daughter, eyeing her live a live bomb. As Gohan took the place at his grandfather's side though, the large man grinned widely at the boy.

"Gohan! How'd ya sleep, m'boy?"

"Very well, thank you." Gohan answered with a smile.

"Good ta hear." Ox King chuckled before shooting a quick look at the sole female in the room. "Wish I could say the same 'bout yer ma, boy. Chichi was up sick half the night, 'n after the day she had yesterday…" Ox King trailed off at that, but Gohan knew all too well. His mother was the type to fuss and fret over even the little things, after all, and when something happened that really upset her, she stressed out even more.

Gohan silently prayed that they'd make it through the day without any fatalities.

Apparently sensing that they were talking about her, Chichi looked up to glower dangerously at her son and father, and both males hastily turned their attention to the food Ox King's servants had brought out. As he piled everything that was remotely edible onto his plate, though, Gohan couldn't help but glance worriedly in his mother's direction again.

"Mom, do you think maybe you should see a doctor or something?" The half saiyan asked timidly. "I mean, if you've been sick for two days in a row now…"

"I'm fine, Gohan." Chichi sighed, though the hardness in her eyes softened at her son's obvious concern over her health. "It's justa stomach flu. I tooka lil medicine when I woke up, 'n I'm feeling much better." Gohan doubted that very much, but knew better then to press the subject and incite his mother's temper.

Slowly, the tension at the table dissolved as conversation between the three began to pick up. Chichi even smiled a little as Ox King laughed uproariously at Gohan's embarrassed account of his disastrous attempt at making breakfast the day before. By the time breakfast ended, Chichi's mood seemed to have improved drastically, and Gohan began hoping that maybe she'd be willing to answer a few of his questions after all.

That's then the maid came in, giving Gohan a curious look.

"Master Gohan? A letter just came fer ya in the mail…" The woman said, slightly puzzled since Gohan and Chichi's visit was a very spur-of-the-moment thing. In her hands was the letter in question, written in the same emerald green ink as the first.

_Mr. G. Son_

_3__rd__ Floor Bedroom by the Stairs Facing the West_

_Ox Kingdom of Fire Mountain_

_520 East District Area_

_Chikyuu_

With impressive speed for a human who wasn't using ki, Chichi bound out of her seat and across the room to snatch the letter out of the maid's hand, almost giving the poor woman a heart attack in the process.

"But I don't… how…?" Gohan knew he sounded like an idiot, but he was honestly baffled. How could whoever was sending these things know that Gohan hadn't received the first letter and send out a new one to a completely different location so quickly? And to again know exactly where Gohan was, right down to the bedroom he was staying in? Gohan should have sensed this person if they were watching him that closely, and if they were then why did they need to send letters at all? Couldn't they just come and talk to Gohan themselves?

Gohan's musings where cut off when Chichi let out a howl of rage, tearing the letter into a million different pieces.

"Th-there was 'nother addressed ta ya, Mistress Chichi." The now frightened maid added, her hands trembling as she presented Chichi with a second letter that seemed to be made from the same parchment, though this one didn't look as thick as the one they were trying to send to Gohan. If he wasn't still so confused, Gohan would have been surprised that the letter didn't burst into flames by the sheer force of the glare that Chichi leveled at it as she claimed it from the shaken maid's hands, tearing the envelope off and almost ripping the parchment she withdrew from inside in her rage. The abused envelope fluttered to the ground near Gohan's feet, address up.

_Mrs. C. Son_

_5__th__ Floor Suite on the East Side_

_Ox Kingdom of Fire Mountain_

_520 East District Area_

_Chikyuu_

Whatever the letter itself said did absolutely nothing to improve Chichi's mood, as she let out a string of curses after reading it before shredding this one as well. Before her father or Gohan could say a word, Chichi stormed out of the room screaming about a 'miserable ol' man tryin' ta tell me how ta raise my son!' and insisting that she was 'gonna fight 'em to the death! Just try 'n take my baby, ya ol' windbag!'

There was a beat of silence following this display before Ox King sighed heavily.

"Something tells me things are about to get very interesting around here." The giant man said in an exasperated tone as he stood up and followed his daughter.

Privately, Gohan couldn't help but agree.

* * *

><p>'Interesting,' as it turned out, wasn't the right word for the days that followed Chichi's fit at breakfast that first morning in the Ox Kingdom. Six days later, the only way Gohan could think to describe it was 'Strange Even by the Standards of a Half-Alien Eleven Year Old Who Fought Intergalactic Overlords and Evil Bio-Androids.' Somehow, whoever was sending the letters knew that Gohan had never read a single one. Gohan couldn't help but think that they probably knew about Chichi's declaration of war, too.<p>

And he _knew_ they had a weird sense of humor.

The day after Chichi had sworn to fight the mysterious letter sender to her dying breath, Gohan had awoken to find his mother pacing in front of the doors to the Ox King's Castle, frying pan in one hand and eyes glued to the sky. After half an hour of trying unsuccessfully to coax his mother back inside for breakfast, Gohan decided to eat out on the front steps with her, much to the confusion of everyone who passed by. After eating his fill, Gohan tried to pour himself a cup of tea, only to find the pot was empty. Confused since he had filled the pot himself and neither him nor his mother had touched it until that point, the half-saiyan opened the pot to look inside.

And found a letter inside, addressed to a Mr. G Son, Front Steps of the Ox Castle.

Gohan was impressed, despite himself, but Chichi didn't seem to think the trick was anywhere near as cool as her son did. She tore up the letter and then stormed inside the Castle to fume for the rest of the day. Then the day after that Gohan found a letter rolled up and stuck inside his toothpaste tube, addressed to Mr. G. Son, 3rd Floor Bathroom of the Ox Castle. Unfortunately, Chichi walked in just as Gohan discovered the letter and quickly confiscated it, leaving him with no chance to read it.

The third day two letters found their way into the hands of Ox King, tucked in each of his enormous shoes. The giant man tried to sneak one to Gohan, telling his grandson to say that he had found it on the floor, but Chichi caught them and made both her son and her father pay dearly for their mutiny. Apparently Chichi had decided that she had to keep an eye on her son after that, ordering the boy back to his schoolwork on the next day (it seemed she hadn't been as out of it as he was afraid and had packed his homework after all). Not wanting to upset her, Gohan did as he was told, but as soon as he opened the book, a letter fell into his lap. Ten seconds later, Chichi and Gohan realized that the letters were tucked between every single page of each and every one of Gohan's books.

On the bright side, this got Gohan out of studying. Unfortunately, he didn't the chance to sneak any of the letters out without his mom noticing.

Five days into their little adventure, Icarus showed up with a bag containing a hundred of the letters and a large trout in his mouth. The dragon spent the rest of the day dodging an irate Chichi and her frying pan as a frantic Gohan chased after them in a hopeless attempt to calm his mother down before she hurt his friend. The sixth day, Gohan woke up to find the letters fluttering down from the sky all around the castle, like some sort of bizarre snowstorm. Gohan thought it was kind of funny to watch confused people running around with umbrella as the heavens pelted letters at them, but Chichi threw an absolute fit when she saw it.

By this point, Gohan had started looking forward to these daily displays. None of the little tricks were dangerous in any way, except for maybe to poor Icarus, and it was always a fun surprise to see where and how the letters were going to turn up. It was like getting treated to a surprise magic show every morning, even if most of the stunts were nearly impossible to explain. Still, it wasn't like he and his friends hadn't seen stranger in their adventures.

Which probably explained why Bulma only seemed freaked out by the raining letters around Ox King's Castle for a minute or so before braving past them to find her friends.

"I've been looking everywhere for you two, you know!" the blue haired heiress complained when she found the two Sons, glaring sternly at them. "Krillen almost had a heart attack when he went to your house and found it looking like a bomb went off and no signs of anyone having been there for a couple of days. I kept trying to tell him that there's no way something could have done something to you guys without someone realizing it, but he kept insisting you guys might've been kidnapped or something until I told him you were probably visiting Ox King or something. Why'd you guys just take off without telling anyone and leave your house a mess like that? And what's up with the mail storm outside?" Ox King chuckled a bit at Bulma's question, earning questioning looks from the other three that had him rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, 's just… Mail Storm. Maelstrom. Geddit?"

Seeing that Chichi's eye was twitching dangerously as the Ox King laughed nervously, Gohan quickly jumped in before his mother could snap and try and kill them all.

"Sorry Miss Bulma, we didn't have time to contact anyone before we left." The boy said apologetically. "I kinda got this weird letter a couple days ago, and mom thought we'd be safer from whoever's sending them if we stayed here."

"I see how that's working out for you." Bulma said flatly, peering out the window at the poor groundskeeper, who was trying to sweep the letter up as they piled all over the ground, only to have more fill in any areas he cleared.

"Well what kinda bright ideas could ya come up with ta stop this, Miss Genius?" Chichi snapped, her temper frayed to the breaking point over the past few days.

"Do you know who's sending the letters?" Bulma asked practically, not looking all that bothered by Chichi's anger.

"Mom does, but she won't tell me." Gohan sighed in exasperation as Chichi's lips thinned dangerously. Wisely, Bulma decided not to press the subject.

"Well then can't you sense them, Gohan?" Bulma asked instead, mildly surprised when the boy shook his head in denial.

"I could the first time, but after that… it's like he did it all without ever setting foot in the area."

"You really think that's possible?" Bulma asked skeptically. "I mean, even with my technology, I don't think I could make it rain letters or get mail into a toothpaste tube or anything without you or someone else noticing something. And that trick with the tea pot-"

"Forget a 'bout how he does it!" Chichi hissed like an angry cat, though Gohan couldn't help but notice she looked a little nervous. "Just make 'im stop doin' it!"

"Well that's easy." Bulma said breezily. "Stay with me, at Capsule Corp."

There was a moment's pause at that before Chichi's eye twitched.

"That's yer big plan?" The irate mother asked irritably.

"Capsule Corp. has the best security system known to man and machine. Dad put a lot of stuff into our home security that's never even available on the market. And even without all that, there's Vegeta. I mean, no offense kid, I know you're one tough cookie, but Vegeta has been fighting a lot longer then you, and lived under brutal conditions since the day he was born. Even if this guy can make himself invisible to ki senses, I'll bet Vegeta can sniff him out."

"Makes sense to me." Gohan said with a shrug, not bothered in the least that Bulma thought Vegeta would be more reliable than him for keeping the mysterious letter sender away.

The half saiyan was well aware of his own faults and weaknesses when it came to battle, having had them pointed out numerous times by Piccolo, and then later his father. This had led him to see his abilities from a more practical angle. While he knew that he had everyone else beat when it came to speed and strength, the others tended to have better control and were more capable of staying focus on the fight without losing their heads. They were also better at multitasking during a fight, which was something the straightforward hybrid struggled with at times. For these reasons, Gohan knew that it was entirely possible that he had missed something that the older, more experienced Saiyan prince might notice about their invisible opponent.

"Well… I s'pose…" Chichi sighed out, looking as though she had run out of options.

"Great!" Bulma said with a grin. "I came to see if you guys were still planning on coming to the wedding anyways, since no one's seen or heard from you all week. But now that you'll be in my home for a while, I won't have to worry about it!" Gohan's eyes widened slightly. With all the mess going on with the letters, he had completely forgotten that Bulma and Vegeta's wedding was taking place in another five days.

"Are you sure it's alright for us to impose, Miss Bulma?" Gohan asked worriedly. He didn't know much about weddings, but he figured that they took a lot of planning and hard work, and he didn't want to get in the way and spoil the occasion for Bulma. Vegeta, he knew, probably couldn't care less about a human ceremony, but weddings were a big deal for girls…

"Hey, I invited you, didn't I?" Bulma laughed. "Relax, how bad can a bunch of letters be anyways?"

Ox King and Gohan exchanged worried looks at that, wondering if Bulma really knew what she was getting herself and her family into. Before the half saiyan could express this fear out loud though, his mother started yanking him up the stairs, taking the boy by surprise and nearly pulling his arm right out of his socket.

"We'll get 'r things then, Bulma!" Chichi called over her shoulder as she towed her son along behind her. As soon as the heiress and the Ox King were out of sight, though, Chichi gave a frustrated sigh. "Hmph! Dunno if that Vegeta's gonna make much 'a difference, but I guess an extra set 'a eyes can't hurt… with any luck, the ol' man'll take a hint 'n give up soon…"

"And maybe once we get to the city, we can get you checked over by a doctor?" Gohan added his two cents hopefully.

"I'm tellin' ya, I'm fine." Chichi huffed. Rolling her eyes. "Honestly, I dunno where ya get this overprotectiveness from, but it's unhealthy ina boy yer age. Now go get yer things, Gohan. And don't forget ta get those eyedrops from th' bathroom! Yer eyes have been lookin' a little dry lately. Probably from all that flyin' around 'n the wind!" Gohan considered calling Chichi out on her double standards, before figuring that he didn't want to risk it with his mother's recent temper. Instead, the half saiyan sighed heavily and departed to obey his mother.

_I wonder if anyone else my age has to deal with crazy stuff like this all the time…_ he thought wryly. Somehow though, he sort of doubted it.


	2. Nowhere Fast

_Dear Readers,_

_Thank you so much for all the positive feedback to this story! The warm reception this story for really helped fuel my creativity, which got this chapter done fairly quickly, but then I kinda forgot which of my ten or so e-mail accounts I used for this penname, which has kept me from posting it for nearly two months now. 'laughs sheepishly' But hey, that's in the past now, chapter 2 is ready and done and chapter 3 is halfways ready, and should be up in a few weeks! Terribly sorry for the delay folks, but you know how these things go sometimes..._

_Anyways, thank you again for all the reviews and faves! I'm sorry for the long wait, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Lotsa Love,_

_The8thDragonball_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2- Nowhere Fast<strong>

* * *

><p>It took all of ten minutes after Gohan got settled into the guest bedroom for Vegeta to hunt the half-saiyan down to taunt him over his strange new stalker. Gohan was pleasantly surprised by this; it meant a full nine minutes more of peace and quiet than he was expecting.<p>

"So much for being the most powerful warrior in the galaxy. Who would have guessed that all it takes to scare the mighty half-breed is a few measly letters." The prince sneered, smirking from where he was leaning against the doorway to the room Gohan had been given.

"Hello, Mr. Vegeta." Gohan replied neutrally, giving an internal sigh. While he didn't dislike the saiyan prince nearly as much as some of the human warriors, Gohan still wasn't his biggest fan. He respected Vegeta's power, and trusted him to help protect the Earth, if only for the thrill of the fight (and to protect his family, though he would probably never admit that out loud) but the saiyan's attitude still bothered him sometimes. Especially when he started insulting Gohan's family and friends.

"Well? How much do you know about whoever's been stalking you, boy?" Vegeta demanded, getting straight to the point.

"Not much." Gohan admitted. "Whoever it is just appeared out of thin air, left the letter and vanished. Their ki didn't feel very strong- probably about the same as Dr. Briefs- but that's the only time I sensed whoever it was. I kept an eye out after that, since I hoped maybe I could talk to them before Mom blew a gasket, but I haven't sensed them come anywhere near me even once."

"They're probably just masking their energy and then using these strange tricks as a distraction so they can leave unnoticed." Vegeta scoffed. Gohan paused in his unpacking to consider the prince's point. It was a good theory, actually, and one he hadn't thought of himself. "Well, no matter. If they still dare to send those silly notes to you here, I'll catch them in the act. Then we'll see how powerful this mysterious admirer of yours really is." Somehow, Gohan suspected that it wouldn't be as simple as Vegeta thought, but knowing how arrogant the older man was the half-saiyan didn't bother to share his opinion out loud.

"So how are the wedding preparations coming along?" Gohan asked instead to change the subject. Vegeta suddenly looked like he had been force-fed a lemon at the hybrid's innocent question. Before Gohan could ask what was wrong though, a shrill voice broke through the air, making Vegeta's eyes widen in horror.

"YOOOOHOOOO~! Son~in~Law~!" Appearing out of thin air, Pansy Briefs latch on to the saiyan prince's muscular arm before either warriors could even blink. "THERE you are! I was wondering where you snuck off too! I wanted to get your opinion on a few new flower arrangements I found! They've got this absolutely ADORABLE one with daffodils that are going to look AMAZING on the gazebo~!"

"Unhand me, wench!" Vegeta growled, trying to figure out how he could free himself without potentially hurting his fiancée's mother- something he already knew was at the top of Bulma's 'Don't-Even-Think-About-It' List along with doing any damage to her overwhelming number of clothes and shoes and killing the door-to-door salesmen that couldn't take a hint. "There is nothing on this godforsaken mud ball that can make me pick out flower arrangements with you!"

"Really?" Pansy pouted, looking disappointed. "Oh, that's too bad~! I was going to swing by the cake shop afterwards to see how the wedding cake's coming along, too, and I know how much you liked their sweets the last time we visited…" It took every ounce of control and training Gohan had not to die laughing at the look that crossed Vegeta's face at this revelation. After taking a minute to weigh his options, Vegeta finally came to a decision, though he looked far less than happy about it.

"…We must spend at least an hour at the cake shop for every minute we spend staring at Earth's pathetic plant life." He bargained, shooting Gohan a dark look that had the half-saiyan throwing his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Oh, I knew you'd love to come~!" Pansy squealed, dragging Vegeta away.

"Dammit, wench! What part of 'unhand me' did you not- DON'T PUT YOUR HAND THERE!"

Gohan waited until Vegeta and Pansy were safely out of Capsule Corp before he collapsed on his bed in a fit of laugher.

_Mr. Vegeta seems to be getting more comfortable here on earth._ The half-saiyan mused as his guffaws died down. Though he was still wasn't fully at ease around the saiyan prince, the younger boy was happy for him nonetheless. Despite Vegeta's past and the threat that he once posed to earth, Gohan had learned through Piccolo that everyone deserved a second chance. Growing up with Freeza couldn't have been a fun experience after all, and crazy as they could be sometimes, Bulma and her family were obviously a good influence on the former mercenary. Especially a certain lavender-haired half-saiyan.

"Gowan!" As if drawn by his thoughts, the child in question burst through Gohan's door and threw himself at the older half-saiyan with gusto, trusting the other boy to catch him. Gohan did not disappoint.

"Hey, Trunks!" Gohan said cheerfully as he adjusted his hold on the giggling child. The younger half-saiyan had just started walking on his own last month, and the added mobility and freedom was obviously something the baby loved. "Come to say hi, huh?"

"Gowan! Pway!" Trunks demanded, tugging at the frog buttons on the older demi saiyan's dark blue shirt. Chuckling nervously, Gohan hastily reached up to grab the young boy's hands before he could tear the buttons off (though he was still a baby, Trunks was already unusually strong thanks to his saiyan genes, and his mom would kill him if he wrecked another shirt).

"Alright, alright!" Gohan agreed. He could finish unpacking later, he supposed. Trunks probably wouldn't take too long to tire out. "What do you want to play, Trunks?" Trunks' smile turned rather devious as that question and, before Gohan could stop him, the little boy tore his hands out of Gohan's grasp to bop the dark haired boy on the nose.

"TAG!" Trunks shrieked before tearing out of the room like hell itself was at his heels. Laughing slightly, Gohan stood up casually, brushing any wrinkles out of his shirt and pants before suddenly disappearing into thin air. Seconds later, he reappeared leaning against the doorway to the room Trunks was just about to flee into, his sudden arrival making the younger boy yelp in surprise and try to jerk back while still in an all-out run, which ended up with the toddler falling flat on his behind.

"You okay there, Trucks?" Gohan asked with a chuckle as the boy rubbed his bruised bottom. Realizing that the older half-saiyan was so close seemed to jar Trunks out of his pain, sending him flying to his feet before he raced through another set of doors at breakneck speed.

_Competitive little thing, isn't he?_ Gohan thought with a grin. It was hardly a surprise though. Most saiyans were, after all. Even Gohan himself hated to lose, though he was much better about it then Vegeta or his dad. Vegeta was the worst sore loser Gohan had ever met, and while his dad was generally very good about accepting a loss after the fact, he usually was just three steps from being in a body bag before he got there.

Sensing that Trunks was trying to make a break for the front door, Gohan pulled himself out of his musings to cut off the boy's escape, figuring that it wasn't a good idea to let the child run around in public. Trunks still didn't understand that the warriors were supposed to be discreet about their powers now, unless they wanted to be harassed by anyone who saw them. It was for this reason that Bulma had pretty much forbidden Vegeta from going into the city alone, though she had never exactly told the Saiyan prince this to his face. Instead, she just made sure that he was distracted enough to stay at Capsule Corp until someone dragged him away, as Pansy had just moments earlier.

After a few more minutes of letting Trunks run around the large, dome-shaped building like a madman, Gohan was forced to end their game when the younger half-saiyan tried to jump over the couch but ended up overdoing it and nearly going through a window.

"Gotcha!" Gohan exclaimed, grabbing the kid before he could go through the glass. Grinning at Trunk's pout, the older half-saiyan shook his head in amazement. "Gotta say Trunks, you're one fast little warrior!" This compliment made Trunks' pout melt away into a proud grin that echoed his father's his chest puffing out boastfully. Laughing a bit at the sight the younger half-saiyan made, Gohan set Trunks on his shoulders and turned to start towards the kitchen. "Come on Trunks, let's get you some lunch, oka-?" The rest of Gohan's question when unasked as he turned back around so fast that Trunks was nearly sent flying.

"Gowan!" the toddler scolded with a scowl on his round face. Gohan didn't hear him, though. Instead, his eyes were scanning the streets outside the window Trunks had nearly launched himself through. It was only for the briefest of seconds, but Gohan was sure that he'd seen an elderly man with a long white beard dressed in a violet robe standing across the street. Normally, Gohan wouldn't have given the man a second glance- he was used to some pretty strange things, after all, and people in the city always wore bizarre clothes to suit the latest fads (Bulma especially was prone to that)- but what got him was that this man's ki felt exactly like the one he felt just before the first letter arrived.

Could that have been-?

"OW!" Gohan yelped as tiny, sticky hands started pulling on his ears.

"Gowan!" Trunks said irritably. "Food!"

"Alright, alright! Just let go of the ears before you tear them off!" Gohan pleaded, hands quickly working to free his poor, abused lobes from the hungry toddler. Hastily putting all thoughts of the strange man to the back of his mind, Gohan rushed to the kitchens to get the young half saiyan some food before he attacked again.

Upstairs in her room, Chichi wasn't so lucky.

"I knew it!" The mother hissed, glaring out her window at where she'd seen the elderly man before he'd apparated away. "I knew comin' here wouldn't stop that ol' man! Hmph! Top security my foot!" Chichi wrung the frying pan in her hands nervously. Then again, it wasn't exactly Bulma's fault. After all, she had no way to defend herself against magic the likes of which were wielded by Albus Dumbledore.

Still, what else could she do? The old spells around the Ox Kingdom had failed to keep her son safe, and there was nowhere else she could go to get away from that man. Perhaps Vegeta could scare Dumbledore off? It was a shot in the dark, but the old wizard had never gone up against someone who knew how to use ki before. Granted, the same could be said for Vegeta, who had never faced a wizard before, but…

_Steady, Chichi._ The woman scolded herself, feeling sick again. Gods, why on earth was she so out of sorts lately?! Dumbledore's fault, most likely. She had just caught some bug before he started all this, and now it was getting worse from stress. But she couldn't risk going to the doctor until she knew her son was safe. She just knew the old wizard would pounce the second she turned her back on Gohan. _Wizards. Can't trust any of 'em. They smile in yer face 'n stab ya in the back. Gohan's been in enough danger as it is, and he didn't survive all that ta go off 'n get killed in that world. I won't let it happen._

Eyes steely with determination, Chichi clutched her frying pan closer.

"Just try 'n take 'im from me, Dumbledore!" She growled at the spot where the wizard had been standing before yanking her curtains shut and stomping down the stairs.

It was time to fight fire with fire.

* * *

><p>Bulma had woken up the next morning feeling extraordinarily pleased with herself. After worming her way out from under Vegeta's arm (Damn saiyans. Even asleep, they were still freakishly strong…) the lovely heiress made her way over to the bathroom to begin her morning primping, basking in her genius. After her mother had left with (read; kidnapped) her husband-to-be, Bulma herself had spent a few blessedly peaceful hours by herself tinkering around in her lab as Gohan played babysitter for Trunks. Trunks adored the older half-saiyan, and Bulma wasn't about to discourage her son from spending a little time with one of the few warriors earth had who wasn't a complete barbarian all the time (really, as much as she loved her fiancée and friends, it all got to be too much sometimes). Gohan was reliable despite his youth, and a good influence in her impressionable young son, so she certainly wasn't going to say no to having the older half-saiyan babysit. Especially when it meant she wouldn't be running around every ten minutes trying to keep her baby out of trouble.<p>

After she had finished up in her lab, Bulma washed up and hunted down Chichi (eventually finding her lurking around in the hedges outside, looking suspiciously smug about something). Dragging her back inside, Bulma then proceeded to engage in some much needed girl talk, showing off her wedding gown and laughing with Chichi about all the odd little quirks that came when one was involved with a saiyan and the mother of a half-saiyan. The chat seemed to help cheer Chichi up considerably as well, though she still looked a little pale and sickly throughout the day. Still, it was amazing how much a little company could do for Chichi's demeanor, and the younger mother had all sorts of tips for Bulma's problems with Trunks and Vegeta that she herself had dealt with on her boys.

By the time the women finished, Pansy returned home with a grumpy Vegeta in tow, and Bulma quickly decided to show her fiancée how much she appreciated the fact that he hadn't murdered or maimed anyone during the outing, especially her mother. Vegeta seemed to appreciate her gratitude, and Bulma had enjoyed herself quite a bit as well, leading to a wonderful end to a blissful day. So all-in-all, Bulma was in a very good mood that morning.

…At least until she entered the kitchen for some breakfast.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAHHHHH!"

Handing out curses like they were candies, Vegeta shot out of bed and was downstairs in under three seconds after hearing his intended's scream, with no clue as to why it felt like his heart had almost stopped dead in his chest. Gohan was there about two seconds later, hair messier then usual but eyes sharp and wary of any threat that could have broken into Capsule Corp. A minute later, Chichi stumbled down the steps, closely followed by a concerned Pansy holding a sleepy Trunks and a rather pale looking Dr. Briefs. It was the good doctor who first found his voice upon entering his kitchen and finding-

"Good lord, are those horses?"

"Um, I think so, sir." Gohan said, a little confused. It was a good question, actually. After all, though Gohan had never seen a horse in person before, he was fairly sure that they usually lacked wings.

But that didn't change the fact that both of the animals before him had the appendages in question, and looked quite comfortable with them despite the fact that they made the others in the kitchen stare. The horses both boasted pure white bodies with wispy gold manes and tails, which shimmered like silk in the light as the animals tossed their heads or flicked their tails. One of them pawed at the ground and eyed the group curiously as the other one ignored them, instead sniffing eagerly at the sugar bowl on the counter.

"Oh my~!" Pansy said, creeping closer with her face alight with childish joy. "They're quite lovely, aren't they?"

"They're certainly unique." Dr. Briefs chuckled as he followed her, apparently deciding that there was no threat from the horses despite their strangeness and eager to get a better look at them.

"This is what your screeching was about?" Vegeta demanded irritably, not as impressed with the creatures as everyone else in the kitchen.

"Well excuse me for being surprised to find winged horses in my house!" Bulma snapped back huffily, ears burning scarlet. "How on earth did they get in here, anyways? All the doors are shut, and the locks are still active, I just checked two seconds ago!"

"Couldn't they have flown in?" Pansy wondered out loud, making Bulma's eye twitch.

"Somehow Mom, I don't think these things came down the chimney." The blue haired woman said through her teeth.

"They're a wedding gift." Gohan broke in, earning confused looks from everyone else.

"Wedding gifts from who, exactly?" Bulma asked, baffled. "I mean, who on earth could sneak two winged horses into Capsule Corp. in the middle of the night without anyone noticing?"

"Apparently, my stalker." The boy replied dryly, pointing to a ribbon attached to the horse's neck, which had a card that read _'Best of wishes to Miss B. Briefs and Mr. Vegeta in married life,' _and then to the letter on the middle of the dining room table addressed _'Mr. G. Son, 2nd Floor Guest Suite of Capsule Corperation, WST 3338926 K West City, Chikyuu'_

As everyone else gaped at the letter in shock, Chichi growled viciously and stormed across the kitchen to claim the letter, only to be engulfed in a plume of plum-colored smoke as soon as she touched it.

"MOM!" Gohan yelped in alarm, starting forward as everyone else jumped back to avoid the smoke. Coughing and curses answered the young half saiyan as Chichi stumbled out of the fog, no worse for the wear save for the fact that her hair was now sticking out at alarming angles, like a cartoon character who had stuck their finger in an outlet. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Fine, Gohan." Chichi answered tersely, glowering at the letter and muttering something about jinxes and something backfiring. "Now go ta yer room."

"But-!"

"Room. Now." Chichi ordered imposingly, making Gohan's protests dry up on his tongue. Nodding meekly, the half-saiyan left, ignoring the mocking snort he earned from Vegeta. As soon as he was gone, Bulma frowned worriedly at Chichi

"Alright, Chichi, do you want to tell us what on earth all of this is about?" The genius demanded, curiosity and worry overriding her long established fear of the angry dark haired mother.

"No." Chichi answered without hesitation, making Bulma's eyes narrow.

"No?" Bulma repeated with a scowl. "Chichi, some freak broke into my house and left horses behind. With wings! And you don't think I deserve to know something about the man who did it? What if he'd done something to Trunks, huh?"

"He doesn't want Trunks, Bulma." Chichi assured the blue haired woman, empathy making her soften her tone a little. "It's Gohan he's after. It doesn't have anything to do with aliens or saiyans or fighin' or any 'a that. It's..." Sighing, Chichi trailed off. "Nevermind, I can't explain it right now. Look, I'm sorry yer home got broken into, Bulma. If it makes you that uncomfortable, then me 'n Gohan can find somewhere else to stay."

"I'm not throwing you two out on the streets, Chichi." Bulma said, sounding slightly hurt. "I'm just worried. I mean, clearly this guy's better than I first thought, if he got in here without setting off the alarms or alerting Vegeta-!"

"The only reason this pathetic earthling managed to break in was because you were distracting me, woman!" The Saiyan prince snarled, shooting Bulma a dirty look. "Make no mistake, I WILL catch the fool if he attempts something like this again!"

"Yeah, yeah, go you." Bulma scoffed, rolling her eyes as her fiancée stormed out of the room, most likely to search the property for any signs of intrusion. After he left, the blue haired woman began studying the winged horses thoughtfully. "You know, now that they're not giving me a heart attack any more, these things are very pretty. Maybe I'll keep them around... Hey, do you think they'd let me ride them?"

"Oooh, what a wonderful idea, sweetie!" Pansy cooed. "Lets take them out for a spin, shall we?"

"Not too far, now!" Dr. Briefs called after his wife and daughter as they took off with the horses. "I want to analyze their DNA and see if they're the result of some sort of mutation or cross-breeding! It will be interesting to see if we can find ways to add wings to other animals as well, like T-Rexes or cats!" Gaping after the Briefs as they left, Chichi couldn't help but wonder if their nonchalant acceptance of the animals was a scientist thing, or if all of Goku's friends were even bigger freaks then she first imagined.

After thinking about it a little longer, Chichi decided it was probably a little bit of both.

* * *

><p>"I'm starting to worry about your mom, kid." Looking away from the horse he was feeding carrots to, Gohan frowned dejectedly at the blue haired genius who was brushing out the other winged horse's pearly coat.<p>

"You too, huh." the boy sighed. "She's getting worse and worse every day."

"I don't understand, either." Bulma scoffed, "I mean, yeah it's kinda freaky that this guy is breaking and entering every night, but he hasn't hurt anyone, and I love the gifts he's leaving for the wedding!"

"Titan and Tiara are pretty cool." Gohan agreed with a chuckle when the winged horses in question stamped their hooves and snorted, Titan butting his head into Ghoan's shoulder in a less-then-subtle demand for more carrots.

"Exactly!" Bulma agreed with a grin. "And the wine fountain that came with your letter on the second day, and the color changing roses on the third day and the choir of doves that sing Felix Mendelssohn's Wedding March yesterday, and today finding all the animals in cute tuxedos and dresses...!"

"I don't think Mr. Vegeta likes it very much, though." Gohan pointed out.

"He'll get over it." Bulma said dismissively, which Gohan sort of doubted.

Just like Chichi seemed to be getting a little crazier every day, Vegeta was getting more and more frustrated with his inability to find even a single clue to the identity of their mystery gift giver, which made him much more violent and paranoid then usual, something Gohan could hardly believe was possible.

It had started off small with the Saiyan Prince. After finding the horses in the kitchen Vegeta went on high alert, going over Capsule Corp with a fine tooth comb to try and figure out how the perpetrator got in with no success. Given what little Chichi and Gohan were able to tell him about the letters, he quickly figured that the man would return that night to try to slip past him again, something he was determined wouldn't happen. Vegeta spent that entire night sitting on top of Capsule Corp's room to keep vigilance, blatantly ignoring Bulma and Pansy's attempts to coax him back inside and not moving a muscle until the next morning, when he flew back inside at Dr. Brief's delighted cry when the scientist headed down to his lab and found a beautiful solid gold fountain crafted to look like a castle, which was surrounded by a 'moat' of expensive red wine, a familiar letter perched at the very top and a notecard saying '_Best of wishes to Miss B. Briefs and Mr. Vegeta in married life_.'

Needless to say, Vegeta was rather upset that his normally keen eye had missed the intruders entrance for a second night in a row.

Vegeta had spent the rest of the day furiously cursing and breaking everything he got his hands on, vowing loudly that he would not fail for a third time. That night, the former mercenary patrolled the halls of Capsule Corp like a madman, storming around and blasting anything from creaky floorboards to several of the many strays that Bulma's family had taken in until his fiancée threatened to send him on a one way trip to Jupiter if he didn't keep it down. The two bickered back and forward for a while as Bulma tried to get dresses, only to be showered in color changing roses, each attached to a letter meant for Gohan and a notecard for the engaged couple.

The bellow of outrage that Vegeta gave after finding that the intruder had somehow gotten past him and into his bedroom where his intended lay sleeping woke up half the block and scared the daylights out of poor Trunks. It was only surpassed by his outrage over the fact that Bulma wasn't upset at all over the intrusion ("Oh come on! He left flowers, Vegeta! Do you have any idea how long it's been since someone left me flowers?").

The enraged Prince didn't speak a word to anyone that day, instead scouring the grounds with fire in his eyes and a snarl on his lips. He watched everyone who passed by Capsule Corp like an angry hawk, and nearly killed some poor jogger when she stopped to tie her shoe in front of the house. It took Bulma begging, pleading, and finally threatening to turn the Gravity Room into her fourth walk-in closet for the saiyan to back down and take a short nap, after which he was only marginally better. Naturally, this only lasted until the next day, when Pansy discovered the choir of doves nesting in the living room, each one with a letter to Gohan tied to their talons and a notecard for Bulma and Vegeta on the coffee table. It took Gohan and Bulma working together to keep Vegeta from turning the poor birds into fried chicken, though Chichi seemed surprisingly willing to help the increasingly furious Saiyan, who finally gave up and growled out something that sounded vaguely insulting in some strange alien language before storming off and locking himself in the gravity room. Gohan was pretty sure that the older warrior spent the entire night in there, since he didn't hear a peep from him when Chichi started raising a fuss after waking up to find all of the Brief's pets decked in wedding-ready attire, letters to Gohan tucked in various pockets and purses.

In direct contrast to Vegeta's hair trigger temperament, the Briefs family didn't seem bothered at all by the letters or the gifts. Pansy was in the process of assigning names to all of the fifty doves they were given, which were being kept in a special bird hutch in the inner gardens. As it turned out, the wedding march wasn't their only number, and even now Gohan could hear them jauntily cooing out Chopin's Nocturne as a T-Rex in a tuxedo and top hat lumbered past them. Dr. Briefs hummed along cheerfully as he helped himself to the wine fountain (though a persistent hiccup threw off his tempo now and then), one of the color changing roses tucked into the pocket of his lab coat by his ever loving wife.

"Anyways, if you ever get the chance to meet this guy, be sure to tell him thanks for me, will you? We really appreciate all his presents!"

"I'll... um... let him know." Gohan promised reluctantly, feeling that such a meeting was unlikely if his mom had anything to say about it. She was already looking into finding somewhere else to hide him until the letters subsided. It was starting to worry Gohan that his usually confrontational mother was so obsessed with running and hiding from this mysterious opponent rather than facing them head on like she normally would. Chichi was far from a coward, after all, and none of the tricks their mystery penpal pulled were dangerous, or threatening in anyway.

...Well, except maybe to Vegeta's ego and his mom's hair.

As if drawn to his musings, Son Chichi's voice rang out over the gardens, heavy with a maternal disapproval that had even the animals freezing in their tracks.

"SON GOHAN!" Wincing at the cry, Gohan sighed heavily as Bulma shot him a sympathetic glance before trudging off to the direction of the house, where his mother stood with her hands at her hips and a scowl on her face. "There ya are! Do ya have any idea how worried I was?! I've told ya a hundred times already not ta leave the house young man!"

"Sorry, mom." Gohan apologized, knowing better than to tell her that Bulma had invited him out for some fresh air. It would only get the woman in trouble, after all. "It won't happen again."

"It better not." Chichi groused. "And don't think I don't know what ya were up ta, either! I don't want ya near those animals ever again! They might look pretty, but they're nasty creature that can take a person's arm off! 'N those stupid birds are a horrible mess ta take care of!"

"They seem really nice to me!" Gohan protested, his love of animals even stronger than the lifelong fear he had of incurring Chichi's wrath. "Tiara was even really gentle with Trunks when Miss Bulma set him on her back and led them around the garden earlier."

"Don't talk back ta me, Gohan, I've seen things like 'em before so I know more about 'em!"

"You have?" Gohan's face brightened with curiosity at his mother's confession. "What are they? Where do they come from?"

"That's not important, Gohan. Instead a those silly animals, ya need ta focus on what's important. Ya still haven't finished yer math work, young man! 'n ya haven't even started on yer geography!"

"Yes, Mom..." Gohan sighed, trudging reluctantly into the house after his mother.

"We've had enough distractions around here lately, 'n I'm not gonna let anything else keep ya from becomin' a brilliant scientist. Honestly, that Bulma ought ta know be... be n..." The rest of Chichi's lecture trailed off as her knees buckled out from under her, and it was only her son's superhuman speed that kept her from hitting her head against the floor.

"MOM!" Gohan yelled in panic as he supported Chichi's weight. Looking slightly dazed, Chichi blinked a few times, Gohan's face blurring a few times before finally coming back into focus. "Mom, what happened?! Are you alright?!"

"'m fine, Gohan." Chichi assured him, trying and failing to free herself from the half saiyan's grasp. "It was just a lil dizzy spell is all!"

"A dizzy spell? That's what all the noise was about?" Vegeta sneered from a doorway, surprising Gohan a bit. In his panic to make sure his mom was okay, he hadn't even noticed the Saiyan prince's arrival. "Hmph! You humans are pathetically weak!" Chichi scowled darkly at Vegeta's remark, but before she could retort, Bulma came flying through the door with Trunks clutched in her arms.

"What happened?! Is everyone alright?!" Bulma asked worriedly.

"I think Mom fainted." Gohan answered before anyone else could speak.

"'m fine!" Chichi repeated herself with a scowl. Both Gohan and Bulma ignored her, though. Shoving their son into Vegeta's hands despite the prince's instant protests and slightly panicked look, Bulma knelt next to the Sons and grabbed Chichi's hand to feel for her pulse.

"Have you been experiencing these dizzy spells a lot lately?" the blue haired genius asked, looking so confident and professional that Gohan didn't see any point in reminding her that she specialized in mechanics rather than medicine and instead just moved out of the way to give the woman space.

"Just once or twice. I haven't been sleepin' well." Chichi said defensively as she rescued her wrist from the other woman's grasp.

"Chichi, you really should see a doctor." Bulma said with a disapproving frown. "Whatever bug you caught only seems to be getting worse."

"It's justa cold!" Chichi claimed mulishly. "I'm not abandonin' my son now ta have a doctor tell me somethin' I already know!"

"It's not just a cold." Bulma insisted with a frown. "And don't worry about Gohan, Vegeta and I will help keep his stalker away."

"Yeah, because that's workin' out so well already." Chichi pointed out sarcastically, glowering out the window as a dinosaur in a dress lumbered past.

"Perhaps we'd do better if you'd actually tell us something about the powers that this man is using." Vegeta snapped back, half tossing Trunks to Gohan as he advanced on the fallen woman. "It's obvious enough that you know more than you're letting on! Either you start speaking up, or get the hell out of this house and take this nonsense with you!"

"Vegeta!" Bulma hissed out, glaring at her fiancée.

"Fine! If ya really feel that way, then maybe I will!" Chichi retorted, climbing to her feet and storming past the prince. "Gohan! Get yer things! We're gettin' outta here!"

"Chichi! Chichi, wait!" Bulma protested, shooting Vegeta an ugly look as she followed the other mother through her house. Vegeta merely rolled his eyes in response, turning to head back towards his gravity room. Sighing heavily, Gohan followed after the women, a rather confused Trunks in his arms.

"Gowan go bye-bye?" The toddler asked dejectedly.

"I think so, Trunks." Gohan replied with an apologetic smile when the purple hair boy gave a whine. "Don't worry, mom and I will be back for the wedding, okay?"

"Gowan stay!" Trunks demanded, grasping the older half saiyan's shirt firmly in his chubby hands as if he was prepared to use physical force to keep him there if it was necessary. "Pway wit Twunks!"

"Sorry Trunks, but I can't." Gohan sighed, earning a glare from the toddler before he turned away with a grumpy pout. Shaking his head, Gohan shifted the child to one arm and followed the sound of Chichi and Bulma arguing to his mother's door.

"Chichi, come on, don't listen to Vegeta! You're only enabling him! Do you have any idea how hard I've been trying to prove to him that we humans aren't going to obey his every whim?"

"It ain't just that, Bulma! It's everythin'! I can't stay here any more, knowin' that shark is just circlin' us, waitin' for blood!"

"And where can you go to get away from this guy, Chichi? Your home wasn't safe from him, going to your father didn't work, coming here didn't work... you really think anywhere on earth can protect Gohan from these letters? You're going to kill yourself trying to run away from this man, and Gohan will be left all alone! Is that what you want?"

"Of course not! But he ain't going with that man Bulma, I won't let 'im kill my son the same way he did my mother!"

A long beat of silence followed this proclamation as Gohan bit his lip thoughtfully, making Trunks look up at him in confusion from his arms.

His mother and grandfather rarely talked about the deceased Queen of Ox Kingdom, but Gohan could always sense that they were pained by the loss of her even now. Many of the citizens of Ox Kingdom felt the same, and some would often remarked to Gohan about how much he resembled her, personality-wise. They claimed that he had the same calm, gentle spirit as the beloved woman, a notable contrast to his proud, excitable mother and his goofy and lovable father. Despite having heard that a number of times, though, no one had ever mentioned anything specific about his grandmother, especially in regards to her death until these letter started coming and his mom started getting more and more upset.

It was the one thing that was making his seemingly harmless stalker seem more dangerous than he appeared.

Apparently, Bulma thought so too. After silently considering the situation for a while, the genius spoke up again, her tone low and somber.

"Have you thought about the Lookout? It should be impossible for something to get you guys from up there, and Piccolo will be on high alert for anyone who's a danger to Gohan."

"...Will that really work?" Chichi asked in a tired voice. It was a testament to how much the circumstances were worrying Chichi if she was really willing to trust her son's safety to the Namenkian she often (justly) accused of kidnapping him.

"I can't think of a single place on earth safer then the Lookout, Chichi. But you really should see a doctor before you go. For Gohan's sake, if no one else's. I know you think you're fine, but if this cold turns out to be something bigger then your son could wind up losing you too, and that's more than that poor boy can take. Please, Chichi, just a visit?"

"Fine." Chichi sighed in defeat. "After I get Gohan all set on the Lookout, I'll come back 'n see yer doctor. But then I'm goin' straight back ta the Lookout, ya hear? No funny stuff!"

"No funny stuff, Chichi, promise." Bulma chuckled, masking Gohan's sigh of relief at the news that his mother was finally willing to see a doctor.

"I better go see if Gohan's all set ta go now. If we're gonna make it ta the Lookout on tonight, then we better leave as soon as we can."

The sounds of the boxsprings creaking hit Gohan's ears at the same time as his mother's words, making the boy freeze for a moment as he finally realized he'd been eavesdropping. Not willing to let Chichi catch him with a full force of angry mother wraith, Gohan sprinted back to his room at a speed that had Trunks giggling in delight. The preteen half-saiyan set the child on his mattress as soon as it was within arms length before turning to grab his suitcase, throwing things into it with faster than the naked eye could follow as Trunks bounced playfully on the bed.

Two minutes later, Chichi opened the door to find her son zipping the last of his overstuffed bags, wheeling around to give her the same guilty grin her husband and son would always give her then she caught them with their hands in the cookie jar (literally or figuratively).

"All set, mom!" the young half-saiyan chirped, setting the bag down on the floor.

"That's good." Chichi said approvingly. "We're gonna try ta head up ta Kami's Lookout so that nasty old leech that's been followin' us around might finally leave us alone."

"So we'll be staying with Dende and Piccolo for a while?" Gohan couldn't feeling a little happier at the thought of spending some time with his mentor and young alien friend, even as Chichi pursed her lips disapprovingly at the excitement in his tone as he mentioned the older Namekian.

"Only for a lil while, Gohan." Chichi reminded her son sharply. "'N don't forget that ya gotta lot 'a schoolwork left ta finish! I want all of it done before ya go frolickin' off with that big green kidnapper."

"Yes, mom." Gohan agreed dully, biting his tongue to keep from defending his teacher. He had learned long ago that Piccolo was one of those things he and his mother were always going to disagree on, and the less vocal he was with his disagreement, the more agreeable Chichi stayed.

"Now hurry and get yer bags in the capsule car, Gohan. Bulma's gonna drive me and ya up ta the Lookout, then double back so she can bring me to some silly doctor for my cold."

"Wouldn't it be easier if I just went with you to your appointment?" Gohan asked with a worried frown.

"I'm not havin' ya sitting out in a waiting room by yerself when a doctor's pokin' at me, young man." Chichi said sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Either ya wait fer me at the Lookout where you'll be safe, or I stay with ya ta make sure ya don't go sneakin' off where that man can get ta ya, understand?"

"Yes, mom." Gohan agreed quickly.

"Good." Chichi nodded her approval. "Now hurry up with yer bags. I wanna be back at the Lookout before nightfall, so we gotta move fast."

"Alright, mom." The boy said as he shouldered his bags.

"And Gohan?" Chichi added, pausing at the doorway and turning to her son with an arched eyebrow. "On top of yer regular homework, I want ya ta finish up a few extra things while I'm at the doctor. Maybe that'll teach ya not ta eavesdrop on adult's conversations."

"..." Gohan sat speechless in a stupor as Chichi calmly turned and left the room. From his place on the bed, Trunks giggled at the elder half-saiyan's expression, snapping Gohan out of his shock and sending him scrambling to follow his mother, a feeling of dread pooling in his stomach.

It was official; There was no mother on earth half as scary as Son Chichi.

* * *

><p>Ever since he hatched from his egg, Piccolo had always been a creature of solitude. For the most part, that was how he preferred it. Until the young son of his worst enemy somehow ended up in his care, at any rate. Despite the best efforts of the Namekian to distance himself from the boy, Gohan still managed to worm his way into the heart of the warrior who had once been feared as the world's most evil monster. It was this friendship that had led Piccolo away from his dark desires, spearing him into defending the very planet he once designed to rule as King.<p>

Unfortunately, his friendship also forced the Namekian to put up with the terrifying banshee who was his student's mother.

"Alright, listen and listen good!" Said mother snarled as she jumped out of the capsule plane that had brought her to the Lookout, marching straight up to the Namekian and stabbing a finger threateningly into his face. "I know ya don't like me, 'n I like ya even less, but my son is in grave danger right now 'n I need a safe place ta hide 'im til that danger passes!"

"Hi, Mr. Piccolo." Gohan said meekly from behind his mother when the tall green man shot him a confused look.

"Gohan's in danger?" Piccolo asked for clarification. Surely the deranged woman couldn't be talking about the same Gohan who had used Cell for a soccer ball only a few months earlier?

"Yep!" Bulma confirmed with a nod. "From a man with flying horses, singing birds and wine fountains who can dress up dinosaurs and make flowers change colors."

...Piccolo always suspected that these humans were insane.

"Someone's been sending me strange letters, Mr. Piccolo." Gohan explained a little better than the women, sensing that his mentor was losing patience. "He leaves them in all sorts of weird places, and he can get them into the house without me or Mr. Vegeta sensing him, and there's never any trace of how he gets in or out."

"Could it be an android?" Piccolo asked, frowning thoughtfully. Gohan shook his head.

"I sensed him once, when he left the first letter at my home. He didn't have a very strong ki at all, but he was able to appear and vanish in under a minute, and he definitely felt like a normal human." Wisely, Gohan didn't mention seeing the old man outside of Capsule Corp a few days earlier. He knew that if his mother had any idea that he'd gotten so close, there was no way she'd leave him to see the doctor like she promised.

"That is strange." Dende murmured, looking worried. "Do you have any idea what this could be about, Piccolo?"

"...Perhaps." Piccolo said, eyeing Chichi carefully as she tensed. "But there's no way of saying for sure. Until we know more about the enemy, it's best to lay low and try to find the source of his unusual abilities."

"We don't need ta know anythin' about his abilities." Chichi growled out tersely. "Just keep him away from Gohan!"

"Calm down, Chichi. It's impossible for Gohan's stalker to get him way up here, remember?" Bulma reminded the woman soothingly. "Only certain people can get to Kami's Lookout, and I really doubt this guy's on the list. Now that we know he's in a safe place, why don't we get going to the doctor's office to get you looked at, okay?" Chichi looked as though she was about to protest, but stopped herself short and sighed heavily before turning to her son with a worried frown.

"Remember ta do all yer schoolwork, 'n all the extra work I assigned ya! I don't want ya playin' 'til all of it's done. And whatever ya do, don't leave the Lookout, no matter what!"

"Yes mom, I promise." Gohan vowed, willing to agree to just about anything at that point to get his mother to a doctor.

"I'll probably be back in a few hours time, so be good until I come back." Chichi added, kissing her son's forehead and pulling him in for a hug. "'n don't go wanderin' off ta other planets, or flyin' in ta battle or gettin' yerself in ta any life-or-death situations, either!"

"I'll try, mom." Gohan said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips despite the fact that Chichi was dead serious with her request. "Just promise you'll do whatever the doctor says, okay?"

"We'll see." Chichi grumped before climbing in to the capsule car, waving at her son even as Bulma took off into the air and shot off in the sky. Gohan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as she left, feeling like a burden was finally lifted from his shoulders now that his mother was finally getting herself looked at.

"Rough time lately?" Dende asked, looking bemused.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Gohan said wearily after thanking Mr. Popo for bringing him what would constitute as a small feast for a human. "Mom hasn't let me out of her sight for more than ten minutes ever since I got that first letter."

"What do the letters say that has your mom so worried?" Dende wondered out loud as Gohan dug in to the food.

"I don't know." Gohan managed between bites, less mindful of his manners now that Chichi wasn't there to reprimand him for it. "I haven't read any of them. Mom's been pretty worried about them though, and it's really creepy that they know which room I sleep in and everything."

"An enemy that can spy on you to that extent without alerting your senses is definitely something to worry about." Piccolo agreed gruffly, frowning out at the earth beneath the Lookout.

"Mr. Piccolo, do you know something about this guy?" Gohan asked curiously. "You looked like you might earlier when I told you about how it was a normal human with the ability to appear and disappear whenever he wants." For a while, Piccolo gave no sign of having heard Gohan's question despite the fact that the young half-saiyan and Dende were both watching him eagerly as they awaited his answer. When his mentor finally designed to speak though, Gohan got the feeling that he was choosing his words carefully.

"...In the past, I have heard of humans with a strange ability that was not powered by ki." The tall Namekian began. "They aren't common in this land though, so I don't know very much about them. Not the extent of this power, or if it could be dangerous to people like us. Baba could probably tell you more about it then I could, since she wields the power herself."

"Ms Baba?" Gohan wondered, looking surprised. He had only met the elderly fortune teller a handful of times, and had never really spoken to her the way he had most of his father's friends. Still, Goku had told him before about her ability to find anything, and the way she could easily cross the threshold between the living and the dead.

"What kind of power is it?" Dende wondered curiously. "I mean, if it's not ki-based, then where does the power come from?"

"I can't say for sure. I think it's some sort of latent ability in their blood or something, since I know it's pretty uncommon for someone with this power to have parents who don't possess it." Piccolo informed them.

"What could they want with me, then?" Gohan asked. "I mean, if they keep sending me letters like this, they obviously want me for something, right?"

"...Who knows, kid." Piccolo grunted. "To be honest though, there was a time when you were really small that I wondered if you had this particular power for yourself."

"Huh?" Gohan said, surprise lighting up his face. "Me?"

"Some of the things you did in that year I was training you were impossible even for people who have had years and years of experience using ki, and there were times when you did it without tapping in to your ki." Piccolo confessed with a far away frown. "For example, I remember one time you were being chased by a dinosaur, and right before it was going to eat you, you disappeared and reappeared on top of a mountain. And then there was that time you broke your sword on a rock and spent all day trying to fix it, only to fall asleep and have it good as new by the time you woke up."

"I thought you did that." Gohan confessed, remembering well how upset he was at damaging the treasured gift from his mentor and how happy it made him to find it whole again the next morning.

"Sorry, kid, that one wasn't me." Piccolo said. "And then, that time you almost drowned, and all of a sudden all this giant air bubble formed around you and brought you right to the surface." Now that Piccolo mentioned it, he did remember odd things like that happening when he was scared or upset as a child.

Like when he was three and he accidentally broke his mother's china set playing inside. He was terrified of what Chichi would do to him when she got home, but strangely enough the set fixed itself while he was preparing for his impending doom, his mother none the wiser to the damage. And then there was the time a monkey tried to cart him off, thinking he was one of her children, and he got scared that he'd never find his way home again. Next thing he knew, he was in his father's lap on Nimbus, and Goku looked just as surprised to find him there as he was to be there. There was even the time he had to wear stuffy, uncomfortable, ugly formal clothes for some big to-do at the Ox Kingdom and he really, REALLY didn't want to. It took Chichi threatening to send him to bed without dinner for him to sit still to be dressed, only for the outfit to disappear right out of his mother's hands. The family looked high and low trying to find it before eventually giving up and letting Gohan go in his regular clothes. A baffled maid finally found the outfit a week later, buried in the flowerbed. Chichi had seemed really upset about that for a long time, for some reason.

"But... nothing like that's happened for a really long time now." Gohan pointed out with a troubled look.

"It mostly seemed to happen when you were being especially emotional." Piccolo pointed out. "As you trained in the wild though, you learned to rely on your strength and began confronting your fears differently, which meant you didn't need that power to protect you as much any more." Piccolo had a point there. The strange events got less and less common the more he trained, and by the time the Saiyans arrived they had pretty much stopped altogether.

Still, there was one thing bothering the young half-saiyan...

"But it doesn't make sense..." Gohan said, frowning. "I mean, you said yourself that most people how have this power get it from their parents, but it's only certain humans who have this power. Dad's not human at all, and mom..." Gohan trailed off slowly there, realization dawning over him.

Chichi had known, right from the start, what the letters were about. She's been nervous and angry about each letter they got, but never confused the way everyone else was. She almost never talked about her life before marrying Goku with anybody, never mentioned her childhood or her mother...

"If your mom has this power, then I've never seen her use it kid." Piccolo said easily guessing his student's train of thought. "But she definitely knows something, so you're going to have to try and get some answers out of her sooner or later."

"That's never gonna happen." Gohan said with a sigh. "There's no way mom will ever tell me something she doesn't want me knowing about, and she _really_ doesn't want me knowing anything about whatever's going on. I'm probably just going to be left wondering what all this was all about for the rest of my life." shaking his head to alleviate his sudden depression at that thought, Gohan rose to his feet, heading over to his bags to get the books he needed to do his schoolwork. As he left, Piccolo continued to watch the sky below them as dark clouds slowly began building up, coaxed on by an unnatural power that made Piccolo's skin tingle in anticipation.

"I wouldn't bet on that, kid." Piccolo murmured to himself before turning away, his cloak flaring dramatically behind him as he made his way to the inner sanctuary of Kami's Lookout.

It seemed that they'd have to prepare for an unusual guest before the night was out...


	3. A Lesson in History

_Dear Readers,_

_Thank you again for all the kind reviews! I really am glad that people are so interested in this story, and I hope I can live up to whatever expectations you guys have. I have to admit, I myself enjoyed writing this chapter a lot, since it gave me a chance to delve deeper into Chichi's character. I know she's not very popular with most of the DBZ fans, but I've always really sympathized with Chichi. Personally, I see her as a proud, stubborn woman who doesn't always say what she feels, but loves her family deeply and wants them to be safe more then anything else in the world. She's pig-headed, and tends to get tunnel vison on certain issues, but she's not a bad person for it anymore then Goku is for being so naive, or Bulma is for being as selfish as she tends to be. One of my reviewers already mentioned that they like the role Chichi's playing in this story so far, and that they're actually dreading Gohan's departure to Hogwarts since it'll take her out of the story, but I want to assure you all now that Chichi is a big part of SoaW. Don't worry about the later chapters, since she'll still be playing a role, and be growing and learning right along with Gohan._

_Now without further ado, please enjoy the very dialog-heavy chapter 3 of Wands and Warriors, and please remember to keep reviewing!_

_Lotta Love,_

_The8thDragonball_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3; A Lesson in History<strong>

* * *

><p>KA-BOOOOOOOOOOM!<p>

Gohan jumped a little at the sound of the thunder below his feet, an overpowering blast of sound so close that he could practically feel it reverberating down in his soul. Twisting around to peer out the window with wide eyes and ringing ears, Gohan stayed frozen still for a few moments until the rumbling faded away to be replaced by the steady snoring of Mr. Popo, who was sleeping a few rooms away.

_Scary..._ Gohan mused to himself, wondering how the more sensitive Namekian ears of his mentor and friend could handle such a terrifying noise. Then again, Piccolo did tend to sleep like a stone in the rare instances when he was fully out. Sighing quietly to himself, Gohan pushed himself away from his desk and padded over to the window to glance out at the storm below, which had rolled in fast and hard just a few hours after Chichi had left and didn't show any signs of letting up until morning. The torrential downpour was probably the only thing that was still keeping Chichi away from the Lookout, since her doctor's appointment should have ended quite some time ago. Most likely, Bulma had been smart enough to realize that flying through a storm like this was suicide and forced his mother to spend one last night at Caspule Corp. Gohan was tempted to go looking for her himself, but Chichi's strict orders to stay at the Lookout still rang harshly in his ears, and he wasn't about to press his luck with his increasingly stressed mom by defying her like that.

Still, there wasn't much else he could do, now that all his schoolwork was done. Piccolo had wandered off after their talk earlier, most likely to train or something, and Dende and Mr. Popo were both fast asleep now. True, he should probably be in bed himself, but storms like this one always left the half-saiyan feeling twitchy and restless, a lingering side effects to the year he spent in the wild where a storm like this could easily mean the death of grown men, to say nothing of a sheltered little four year old the likes of which he was at the time.

Gohan shook his head as he thought of the way he used to be, before Piccolo and the Saiyans and learning what it was like when someone had to fight for their lives. Looking back, Gohan could barely believe that child was the sort of person he used to be. It felt more like a vague dream, or a puzzle piece that no longer fit into the big picture anymore. Still, despite all the fear and violence and death, Gohan couldn't bring himself to mourn the loss of the boy he used to be. Not when the person born from his ashes was someone that his friends and family could trust to protect them. Not when it made his father so proud.

His mother had mourned, though. Still did, as a matter of fact. That, Gohan did regret, which was why he was trying so hard to make up for it now by being the son he knew she wanted.

Sighing at the depressing turn his thoughts had taken, Gohan turned away from the window with a frown. What was it about storms that made people so moody, anyways? Determined to shake off his malchony, Gohan headed out of his room and out towards the main plaza of the Lookout, hoping that maybe working off some energy would wear him out enough that he could fall asleep despite the weather. He couldn't get too crazy of course, or else he'd risk disturbing his hosts, but there were a few katas he could do that wouldn't bother anybody.

...Except maybe the elderly man sitting at the edge of the Lookout.

Gohan froze in place at the sight of the stranger, shock and confusion making him reel. No one other then his friends should have been allowed up on the Lookout, so who-?!

"Beautiful view up here." The old man said, his voice soft and kind, but with an underlaying authority that had Gohan straightening his posture despite the fact that the stranger hadn't even turned around when he started speaking. "I have heard the legends of the Earth Guardian's Lookout before, but words cannot truly describe how incredible this place is."

"You should see it without the magical storm clouds sometime." A gruff voice behind Gohan growled, startling the boy before he felt the familiar ki of his mentor. Piccolo must have been masking his presence, most likely waiting for this old man to show up.

There was very little that could get past the Namekian warrior...

"Perhaps I'll do that someday." The old man said, a smile in his voice as he climbed to his feet. Once he was up, the stranger turned to face the warriors, and Gohan's eyes widened as he took in the wizened old man with a long, snowy white beard and half moon spectacles perched on a hooked nose that looked like it had been broken in two places.

"You!" Gohan realized at last. "You're the one who's been sending me all the letters!" Periwinkle eyes twinkled as the old man smiled warmly at the half-saiyan.

"That's right, Gohan." He confessed with a polite bow. "I am Professor Albus Dumbledore. I came here from England to speak to you about something very important."

"It's... um... nice to meet you, Professor." Gohan said with a return bow, his manners engraved too deeply to ignore despite his confusion. Now that the man mentioned it, he did hear a slight English accent on his words, but why on earth would someone come all the way from England just to send him letters? "I don't mean to sound rude, sir, but... what could you possibly have to speak with me about?"

"Many things, I'm afraid." Dumbledore answered. "An entire world that has been kept hidden from you since before you were born, which your mother used to be a part of many years ago."

And suddenly, Gohan's promise to his mother not to leave planer Earth didn't seem so funny anymore.

"You're not gonna tell me that my mom's an alien too, are you?" Gohan asked warily, half afraid of the answer. Behind him, Piccolo sputtered in surprise at the half-saiyan's question as Dumbledore drew up short for a moment before throwing his head back to laugh so hard that Gohan was half afaid he'd topple off the edge of the Lookout.

"No, no, nothing like that..." Dumbledore managed through his chuckles, smiling at the eleven year old boy when he sighed in relief. "Would I be wrong to assume that there's a rather interesting story behind that particular question?"

"Nothing you need you hear, old man." A surly Piccolo cut in behind Gohan, narrowing his eyes. "Now either speak your piece or take your leave."

"Very well." Dumbledore agreed, "The truth is, Gohan, that your mother is a witch. One who has decended from a long line of powerful witches and wizards, and who has wielded incredible magic in her own right."

Silence greeted the Professor's proclaimation. Piccolo seemed unsurprised at this new reveltation, but Gohan needed a few minutes to absorb Dumbledore's words, and several more to realize that it wasn't a joke or a prank on the Professor's part.

"Um... okay." the boy said, looking between his mentor and the old man, feeling a bit like an idiot since he was obviously the only one who had no idea what was going on. "What's... what's that mean, exactly?"

"It means that you're long overdue to learn about your family, and the world that they have helped to shape." Dumbledore answered, reaching into his robe to pull out the thick, parchment envelope that was becoming far too familiar to Gohan. Accepting it, the half-saiyan's eyes immeidately sought the familiar emerald green handwriting on the front.

_Mr. G. Son  
><em>_Main Guest Room of the Earth Guardian's Lookout  
><em>_Above Korin's Tower  
><em>_Sacred Land Of Korin  
>FFA 44195 SQ<br>__Chikyuu_

Despite Gohan's superhuman strength, the letter felt oddly heavy in his hands. Hesitantly, the boy glanced from the envelope to the strange old man who had given it to him and then to his Namekian mentor over his shoulder, who appeared mostly disinterested in what was happening between his student and the Professor.

"I... can I really open this?" Gohan asked uncertainly. His mom had been so distraught, so intent on keeping the contents of this letter from him. As curious as he was about the letter in his hands, his loyalty to his only living parent made him hesitate about blatantly disreguarding her wishes.

"Do whatever you want, Gohan." Piccolo replied curtly, his harsh features softening only slightly when he looked at the troubled young boy. "I can help and give you advice, but I'm not going to make your decisons for you, kid. You're never gonna learn anything if someone's holding your hand all the time." Gohan didn't appear to be all that happy at the Namekian's answer, and went back to studying the envelope for a moment before turning it over and carefully undoing the seal, curiosity winning the eleven year old over. After pulling out the pages inside and slowly unfolding them, Gohan began to read, his eyes widening with every word they absorbed.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
><em>_of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
><em>_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Son_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equiptment_

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall,  
><em>_Deputy Headmistress_

By the time Gohan finished the letter his jaw was slacked and he was left blinking owlishly at the words before him for a few moments before finally reacting.

"He... hehe..." Gohan started, his shoulders shaking. "Hehehe... so... this whole time... hehe mom's been protecting me from a SCHOOL?!" The irony of the situation dispelled the last of Gohan's worries about defying his mother as he dissolved into laughter, doubling over and clutching his stomach as his muscles began to protest at the action.

"Something tells me it was more then just the school, kid." Piccolo observed, eyeing the elderly Dumbledore with a frown.

"Indeed." Dumbedore agreed, looking somber. "I'm afraid that things were quite dangerous in our world during the time when Chichi was a part of it. Back then, there was a dark wizard. He was cruel and bloodthristy, and managed to strike fear into almost all of the wizarding world. Some of us managed to stand up to him though, and many lost their lives for it. Including your grandmother, Tamari Niao." Dumbledore turned away from Gohan here to study the stars, a distant, pained look glazing his eyes as he recalled a time long pass.

"Your grandmother was a very good friend of mine, Gohan, and a remarkable woman with a very loving heart. She wasn't one to bear any injustice, especially the sort that became all too common in those days. I had a lot of faith in your grandmother's abilities, which was why I asked her to pursue a matter I had some concerns over, something that I felt could have given us an edge over our enemy. Unfortunately, she never made it back from that mission. Chichi was only fourteen at that time, and I'm afraid she never forgave me for sending her mother to her death."

_Mom..._ Gohan thought, his stomach twisting as he thought of his mother going through such an ordeal. If what the elderly wizard said was true, then it was no wonder that she was so hysterical every time Gohan and his father flew off into a fight.

"And the dark wizard?" Piccolo questioned, watching the Headmaster carefully. "What happened to the guy who started all this?"

"He was defeated, about a year or so after Chichi left the wizarding world entirely." Dumbledore answered. "No one has seen any sign of him since then."

"So he wasn't killed then?" Piccolo clarified, eyes narrowing.

"I don't believe so, no." Dumbledore confessed quietly. "Evil as he was, our enemy was also brilliant. His defeat most likely left him gravely injured, but not dead." This answer didn't seem to make Piccolo very happy, but the Namekian warrior didn't question the wizard any further, allowing Gohan to interject with a concern of his own.

"Um, not to be disrespectful, sir, but are you really sure that I have this magic stuff or whatever in me?" Gohan asked uncertainly. "I mean, my mom seemed pretty sure that I didn't have it and... well, I kinda have this other stuff I can do that lots of normal people can't. Maybe you thought that stuff was the same sort of magic that you can do or something?"

"I assure you, Gohan, I didn't make any mistakes." Dumbledore promised the boy confidently. "A certain acquaintance of mine has been keeping a close eye on you. According to her, your father had a certain amount of immunity to some magic spells and potions and she believes that that passed down to you, which negated all of Chichi's efforts to keep you from being born a wizard."

"An... acquaintance?" Gohan repeated, confused.

"Baba." Piccolo guess with a scoff. "Should've known that she was in your pocket all along. No wonder you managed to learn enough about us and our powers to sneak around undetected the way you have."

"Ms Baba did tell me about your talents, along with many other things." Dumbledore confirmed. "The stories she's told me about you are really quite fascinating, Gohan. You're a very remarkable boy." Gohan flushed a little at the elderly man's praise as Piccolo scowled, clearly not pleased that this man knew so much about his pupil.

"So basically, you've been spying on the Sons for years now. Any special reason for the interest in the kid now? Cause I gotta say, your timing's pretty suspicious..." Dumdledore didn't look fazed at Piccolo's blatant accusation, though Gohan himself was a little confused. Piccolo wasn't surprised by this. As smart as Gohan was, he didn't have a cruel bone in his body, so he could never understand the tactics of people who manipulate others.

Like someone who showed up out of nowhere looking to take a kid away to a magical school right after he lost his beloved father.

"Really? I think it's rather unfortunate, myself." Dumbledore responded. "But I feared that contacting Chichi before Gohan was of the age to begin school at Hogwarts would merely send her on the run with him that much sooner. I'm afraid that things were very... unpleasant in the Wizarding world when Chichi left us, which left her with a very negative opinions of wizards in general, and myself specifically."

"Because of my grandmother?" Gohan asked quietly.

"Among other things." Dumbledore admitted. "Thankfully, those dark times have passed, and things are more peaceful now. And even if they weren't I would never allow anything to harm the students in my school." Piccolo studied Dumbledore closely for a moment after that before accepting the man at his word, backing off to let Gohan state his own curiousity.

"If I go to this school, will I have to leave my home?" Gohan asked, looking troubled at the thought. Gohan had loved all the spells and tricks he'd seen so far with his letters, and the animals and gifts that Dumbledore had given Bulma and Vegeta were really cool, but the boy just didn't feel comfortable abandoning his mother right after his dad had just died.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Dumbledore said, confirming Gohan's fears. "I know you and your mother are going through a difficult time right now, and I do not wish to make things harder on either of you, but untrained wizards can be dangerous to those around them, especially ones that have your potential. I assure you though, Gohan, we'll provide you with every means neccessary to stay in contact with your friends and family here, and you'll have ample opportunity to make new friends at school as well since all the students live with their yearmates of whatever house they've been sorted into while school is in session. You are welcome to return home during the winter and spring, and I'll be willing to make allowances in emergencies or when there is a need for you to be away. I will also provide you with a means of writing home as well, since only a few owls can cross the barrier that protects Chikyuu from the outside world."

"Owls?" Gohan repeated curiously, remembering the last line in the letter he just read.

"Wizards train birds, specifically owls, to deliver letters and packages wherever necessary. Think of them as our Post Service." Dumbledore explained. "I believe that your grandfather still keeps one or two handy, though I recall your mother wasn't especially fond of them." Gohan winced at that, knowing it to be all too true. Chichi didn't seem to like any kinds of birds, but she especially hated owls for some reason.

"I... I don't know about all this..." Gohan admitted, frowning down at the letter in his hands. "...Can I talk with my mom about this first, before I decide anything?"

"Of course, Gohan." Dumbledore said, smiling warmly at the boy. "I don't want you to make any decisions that you'll regret later. You still have plenty of time until the September 1st deadline, so I encourage you to sit down and talk with your mother. With any luck, perhaps speaking with you about the past and her own experiences in the wizarding world will help Chichi heal from her pain."

Somehow, Gohan doubted that such a task would be as easy as Dumbledore made it sound.

"At any rate, now that I have delivered your letter to you I really must get back to the responsibilities I've been neglecting while I was here in Chikyuu. Good luck, Gohan. I hope that I'll see you during the Opening Ceremonies at Hogwarts in a few months."

"Thank you, sir." Gohan replied, biting his lip as he reread the letter in his hands, only to glance back up when Dumbledore's ki suddenly dissappeared from the Lookout.

"Gotta say kid, you sure know how to keep things interesting." Piccolo commented, breaking his silence again now that their intruder was gone.

"Well, I guess that's one way of putting it..." Gohan said with a weak smile. "What do you think, Mr. Piccolo?"

"I think this is all crazy." Piccolo said bluntly. "But then again, you've been through crazier then a magic boarding school run by a guy in a dress. Do what you want, kid." Gohan's weak smile transformed into an outright grin at that very Piccolo-like response. Without the Namekian even really saying it Gohan knew that, whatever decision he made, Piccolo would back him up, no questions asked.

And judging from the way that Piccolo growled out a sigh at the sight of Gohan's ear-to-ear grin, the Namekian knew it too.

* * *

><p>As much as Bulma loved her life, and as grateful as she was for everything she had, there were still times when the blue haired genuis regretted ever hitting a certain monkey tailed brat with her car. Generally, this happened when she got put into a life or death situation because of her friendship with the now tail-less and desceased warrior in question, but occasionally Goku still managed to give her grief without even being present.<p>

Like when the selfless jerk went and got himself killed, leaving her to worry about his psychotic widow and gentle son.

_I should have just run the other way after Goku picked up my car and threw it like a baseball. _Bulma thought grumpily for the umpeenth time in her life as she stepped out of her shower wearing nothing but water and a fluffy white towel. _Things would be so much easier for me if I had just gone back to West City then._

"Fer goodness sake, Bulma! What's takin' ya so long! Ya said we'd go up ta the Lookout as soon as the rain stopped, remember?!" Chichi snarled at her from the other side of her bathroom door.

"I'll be out in a minute, Chichi." Bulma shot back and she quickly began to brush her still damp hair.

"Ya said that ten minutes ago!" Chichi screeched in return. "In case ya fergot, my baby's in danger right now, all because SOMEONE made me go ta a doctor's appointment that I didn't need!"

_...Much, MUCH easier._

"I think Gohan will be okay up on the Lookout by himself, Chichi." Bulma said irritably, her temper putting a bite in her words that few people would dare use while speaking to the terrifying Son matriarch. "You didn't need to wake me up at two in the morning to take you up there right away. Vegeta would've sensed if something was going on up there that we needed to worry about."

"Like he sensed the man who was sneakin' into yer house every night fer almost week straight?" Chichi huffed back, adding more fuel to Bulma's growing fury.

"Alright, that's it!" Bulma growled out, slamming her hairbrush down so hard that it snapped in two before storming out of the bathroom to confront the other woman. A small part of her was reminding her that it was a bad idea for a delicate, unarmed woman such as herself to attack someone as dangerous and frightening as Chichi could be when she was properly motivated (and nothing motivated her more then the thought of her son being in trouble) but that part was overruled by whatever insane disease had befallen the brilliant woman and made her fall in love with the cranky saiyan prince. "Now you look here, Chichi! I don't care what you-!"

"Mom?"

"GOHAN!" The next thing Bulma knew, she'd been tossed out of Chichi's way and into the nearest wall, the breath knocked out of her in the dark haired mother's mad dash to greet her son.

_Okay. Ow._ Bulma thought dizzily, suddenly remembering why Chichi scared her so much. She kinda felt like she just got hit by a tank...

"Son Gohan, what on earth do ya think yer doin' back here on earth?! I told ya ta stay at the Lookout until I got back up there!" Bulma heard Chichi demand as she peeled herself off of the wall. Shaking her head, the blue haired woman made her way to her room to get dressed, keeping an ear on the conversation being held just down the hall.

"Yeah, I know, but mom-!"

"Don'tcha 'but mom' me, young man! I'm yer mother, and what I say goes! Honestly, are ya tryin' ta give me an early heart attack runnin' around like some sorta delinquent all the time?!" As she began shuffling through her drawers for clothes, Bulma couldn't help but roll her eyes at Chichi's comment. For goodness sake, Gohan was about as much a delinquent as Vegeta was a gentleman.

"No, mom. But I-!"

"-Deliberately disobeyed me! I knew leavin' ya with that demon was a bad idea, he's a terrible influence on you! Ever since he kidnapped you-!"

"Mom, I spoke with Professor Dumbledore last night."

Silence greeted Gohan's candid confession, which made Bulma frown curiously as she buttoned up her jeans. Considering how much yelling Chichi had been doing lately, the sudden peace was almost eerie...

"...That man... Are you tellin' me he got up ta the Lookout durin' the storm?" Chichi asked, sounding as though she already knew the answer and didn't like it at all. More curious then ever, Bulma hastily grabbed the first shirt that made it's way into her hands, eager to get back out in the hallway to find out what was going on now. This sounded like it was getting interesting...

"Um, yeah. He showed up last night." Gohan repeated, sounding nervous. "...He, um... he told me about-"

"Whatever that man told ya, it was all a lie Gohan." Chichi said abruptly. "None 'a it was true."

"Mom..."

"Don't question me about this, Gohan." Chichi said, sounding a little hysterical now. "I didn't raise ya ta be the sorta son who'd believe a complete stranger over yer own mother!" Fully covered, Bulma darted out the door and into the hallway, making a beeline for the Sons to get a front row seat to whatever was going on.

"I never had to." Gohan said, sounding upset about something. "You've never lied to me about anything before."

SLAP!

Bulma froze in shock as Chichi's hand connected with Gohan's cheek. The half saiyan himself looked unfazed at the sudden assault, which made a certain amount of sense given that he was definately fast enough to see the attack coming and dodge it if he wanted to, meaning that he probably let her hit him on purpose. Chichi, on the other hand, looked absolutely horrified when she realized what she had done.

"Oh... oh my..." Trembling, Chichi snatched her hand away from her son, holding it tightly to her chest as if taking it prisoner. "...Gohan..."

"It's true, isn't it, mom? All that stuff he said. About wizards, and magic, and you. It's true that you're a witch." Gohan said quietly. Still trembling, Chichi's shoulder's slumped at her son's accusation, her head shaking silently as the last of her resistance dissolved under the shock of striking the very person she would die a thousand deaths to protect. "It's true that I got some sort of magical power from you."

"NO!" Chichi protested venomously. "That's not you! Never! Those people... they're demons, Gohan. They look down on people who ain't the same as them, like yer grandfather, 'n yer father. They think that their magic makes 'em better than everyone else, 'n that muggles 'n squib ain't any better than animals. They'll turn a blind eye on someone who needs help ta keep from puttin' themselves in danger, even if that person's tryin' ta save 'em! I'm not like that, Gohan, 'n neither are you!" Bulma's eyes widened as words spilled from Chichi, stress and guilt breaking the proud woman and making her confess all. The blue haired genius still didn't completely understand what was going on- all this stuff about witches and people being in danger- but she knew that, whatever all this was, it wasn't easy for Chichi. Once more, Bulma felt a curl of sympathy for the younger mother.

Hardheaded as she could be sometimes, Chichi was still one of Bulma's friends, and Bulma was never one to abandon her friends when they were hurting.

"Professor Dumbledore said something about things being bad when you left the wizarding world." Gohan noted, though not unkindly. The boy wanted to figure out what was going on, and find out how he and his mother fit into whatever drama was unfolding now.

"Should've known that man had a gift fer understatin' things." Chichi said bitterly. "It was hell on earth, Gohan. All because one man fancied himself ta be a God, runnin' around decidin' who got ta live 'n lick his shoes and who died fer not followin' him like a well-trained puppy."

"The dark wizard." Gohan said, quickly realizing that was the person his mother was referring to. _The one that killed my grandmother..._

"His name was Voldemort." Chichi said blandly. "'Course, mosta those snivilin' cowards in that world were too scared 'a him ta call him that. Always goin' around with this 'You-Know-Who' 'n 'Dark Lord' nonsense. My mother always said that all that garbage ever did was give that man more power over people. Not that he needed any more power. Evil 'n vile as he was, Voldemort was a brilliant 'n powerful wizard."

_Professor Dumbledore said that, too._ Gohan recalled with a frown. Wisely, he didn't mention this to his mother, since hearing Dumbledore's name only ever seemed to upset her even more.

"But... isn't he gone now?" Gohan asked instead.

"Accordin' ta what little news I got from that world." Chichi confirmed, looking pained. "One 'a his last victim's was a friend of mine when I was in Hogwarts, a year ahead 'a me. Lily Evans was her name. 'Least before she married Potter, anyways. She was a great witch. Noble and strong and kind... I really looked up to her. She and my mother... I always thought that that's how a good witch was supposed ta be. Funny, how both'a 'em got killed by the same evil man." Despite her words, Chichi didn't seem to find any humor in that irony. Neither did Gohan.

"Why didn't you tell me or dad about any of this before?" Gohan wondered, sounding more hurt then angry at the fact that his mother kept such a big part of her life hidden from them.

"I just wanted ta leave all that behind." Chichi confessed. "That world, 'n all the people who'd smile in yer face, then stab ya in the back... When we got married, I kept it from Goku since I knew he'd wanna do somethin' 'bout the likes 'a Voldemort if he knew someone like that was goin' 'round killin' people. I'd just found him again, and we were happy 'n safe 'n newly wed... I couldn't bear ta lose someone else I love ta that monster. That's why when I was pregnant, I tried ta keep ya from gettin' magic too, so they wouldn't suck ya in ta that nonsense. Drank a Lath Potion every night fer nine months straight, since it increases the chances a bein' born without any powers. Never missed a single night. That's pretty much the last bit 'a magic I've ever done..."

"Professor Dumbledore thinks that maybe saiyans are immune to some forms of magic." Gohan informed his mother. "That's why I ended up getting magic from you after all."

"That'd explain why yer father didn't react ta that Love Potion I tried on him once 'r twice before ya were born." Chichi mused dryly. "That was a bit of a blow to my pride. I was pretty well known fer my potions at Hogwarts. Well, that 'n Quidditch..."

"Quidditch?" Gohan asked, perplexed.

"'s a sport. Ya play it on broomsticks. I made the team as one of Gryffindor's Beaters in my third year. Always took people by surprise, since I'm so small, 'n a girl ta boot, but no one could deny that I was good." A hint of pride flashed through Chichi's voice as she spoke of this sport, despite the fact that her son and Bulma had no idea what she was talking about. "'Course, that smart-mouthed Potter 'n Black used ta bet ten gallons before every game that I'd lose my temper and beat someone on the other team ta death with my club. Kinda wanted ta smack their heads t'gether when they started that nonsense, 'fore Remus told me they were just kiddin' so I'd be all fired up fer the game 'n really put a wallop on the other team..." Realizing that she had gone off on a tangent, Chichi flushed red and coughed into her fist before trying to regain her composure.

"At any rate, it wasn't 'til after ya were born that Voldemort died, 'n by then I didn't see much of a point in comin' out 'bout my powers. I was perfectly happy livin' without magic, 'n ya were supposed ta be a squib anyways. And I just... I knew that even if that monster himself was gone, Voldemort's supporters were still out there, 'n I didn't want ta have ya anywhere near that sorta people. I wanted ya ta have a peaceful, lovin' childhood, Gohan. The kind I never got cuz'a the war with Voldemort." Chichi's face darkened for a moment here. "'course, that was all fer nothin' anyways, since ya ended up gettin' drawn in ta all those fights, 'n flyin' around in space doin' God only knows what..."

"But... you miss it, don't you." Gohan realized, reading his mother easily. "Maybe not all of it, and definately not all the people, but it was still a part of your life for a really long time, and you haven't had it for eleven years now."

"I gave it up, Gohan, 'n I don't regret my decision, no matter what that Dumbledore told ya!" Chichi said hotly, her temper flaring at her son's accusation. More than anything else, that proved to Gohan that he was right. "Gohan, whatever that man said 'bout yer powers is total nonsense! Ya have enough control over yerself now thanks ta martial arts ta keep from blowin' anythin' up in a temper tantrum, 'n that man has absolutely no political power here in Chikyuu, so ya don't have ta go ta that school! Ya can still be a brilliant scientist!" Gohan frowned at the forced cheer in his mother's tone, hearing the hint of desperation and fear beneath it. Fear that all her hard work and sacrifice had been in vain, and that Gohan would once again be sucked into a world where he could get hurt at any moment.

To be perfectly honest, Gohan didn't want that either. He wasn't anything like Vegeta or his dad, despite his saiyan genes. Gohan hated fighting. Seeing violence, hurting other people... stuff like that always made the young hybrid feel sick to his stomach. He knew it was necessary sometimes to protect people, but he would never have the love for battle that his father and friends had.

But all the same, violent and frightning as it could be sometimes, Gohan couldn't imagine walking away from the life he lived and never looking back.

If someone told him that he could have the normal life he'd always craved... a life of peace where he didn't have to worry about the world ending, or aliens, or andriods, or anything else like that, in exchange for giving up all his powers and never speaking to any of the other warriors again... Gohan could never be strong enough to do it. It was torturous of him to even consider it, even though he knew that that was what his mom wanted for him.

Gohan had accepted the fact that he'd never be normal a long, long time ago. Maybe now it was time for Chichi to do the same.

"I want to go, Mom." Gohan stated, his tone quiet but firm. "I want to know what kind of world you and my grandmother came from. I want to see it all with my own eyes. I want to learn how to be a wizard."

God, Chichi's face when he said that... No matter how many times it happened, or however good a reason he had to do it, it was never easy for Gohan to break his mother's heart. Not when he knew how fragile she really was underneath her infamous temper and terrifying strength. Recovering quickly, Chichi hid her pain behind anger, her most reliable method of strong arming her superpowered family into submission.

"I said no, Gohan!" Chichi snarled, hands on her hips. "Yer better then all that garbage! Why do ya think I've been hidin' all this from ya fer so long?! Ya wanna know where me 'n my mother came from?! Gohan, I gave up on magic, 'n yer grandma got killed cuz 'a it! What does THAT tell ya?!"

"I still want to know for myself." Gohan said, holding his ground. "Maybe... Maybe Professor Dumbledore was right. Maybe things are better now."

"Maybe?! MAYBE?! Ya want me ta trust yer safety on the word of a man who sent my mother ta her death?!"

"I want you to be who you are, mom." Gohan corrected her gently. "And... I want to find out who I am. Where I belong."

"What are ya talkin' about, Gohan? Ya already have a place ya belong!" Chichi said, genuinely taken aback.

"Not anymore." Gohan sighed, shaking his head. "Cell's gone. I don't have to fight anymore, but I can't pretend I'm like other kids my age. I'm not normal, like you want me to be."

"Ya think I want ya ta be normal?" Chichi said, looking stunned at her son's words. "Gohan, I... that's not it at all! It ain't about bein' normal, it's about bein' happy 'n safe! I mean, yer the son of the strongest warrior in the world 'n a former witch, I pretty much knew from the start that normal wasn't gonna be an option fer ya. But... yer father 'n I both lived in bloody, dangerous worlds. I didn't want that fer ya, because I knew ya could be so much more! That's why I'd push ya so hard ta keep studyin' and learnin', even when the world was threatenin' ta go up in flames around us!"

"There's always going to be danger, Chichi." Bulma broke in, surprising the Sons. The blue haired genius' expression was unusually serious as she gazed down the hall to the room where her son lay sleeping. "It doesn't matter if he's a fighter or a scientist, there's always going to be risks involved, and you won't be able to protect him from everything."

"At least with scientists, the risk doesn't usually involve death." Chichi reminded Bulma bitterly.

"True." Bulma acknowledged with a shrug, turning back to meet Chichi's eye. "But it's harder sometimes to be the one stuck in a lab or something when everyone you love is risking their lives for what they believe in. You know that as well as I do, Chichi. Do you really want to inflict that on Gohan?" Chichi flinched at Bulma's words, drawing back as if the other woman had slapped her. "It doesn't matter if he's out there, right in the thick of it, or stuck worrying himself half crazy like us, Gohan's going to get hurt. The best you can do is make sure he's prepared for whatever danger may come his way."

"Please, mom?" Gohan begged, lowering his head to look at his feet. "I just wanna try. Even if it doesn't work out, I'm never going to be able to live with myself if I don't at least give it a shot."

Chichi was silent for a long time after that, her face unreadable as she thought things through. Then, finally...

"Yer not gonna like it as much as ya think, ya know." Chichi said flatly. "If ya thought I was tough about homework, just wait 'til McGonagall get her hands on ya."

Gohan grinned widely at his mother's begrudging consent, excitement bubbling over and making him cheer loud enough to earn a snarled threat of dismemberment from the room that Bulma and Vegeta shared. Though he'd won her over, Chichi couldn't bring herself to join in her son's obvious glee, already worrying that she had made a bad decision for her child. Bulma, on the other hand, had no problem sharing Gohan's mirth.

"Good for you, kid!" The genius said cheerfully, beaming at the boy she had grown so fond of in the past six years. It was good to see Chichi finally learn to let go and give Gohan a little choice in his life. Nevertheless, there was one thing that was still bothering the genius... "Soooo... anyone wanna fill me in on what all of this is about, or am I just supposed to keep guessing?"

* * *

><p>The days following Chichi's big confession and her reluctant permission to allow her son to go to Hogwarts were very busy. In part, this had to do with Bulma's rapidly approaching wedding, which the blue haired genius guilted Chichi and Gohan into lending her a hand with, but there was also the half-saiyan's growing excitement about his new school to contend with as well. Gohan was having a hard time containing his curiosity about wizards, but had to try around his mother since Chichi still seemed like she'd withdraw her permission for Gohan to go away at the first opportuntiy that presented itself. Thankfully, his grandfather was all too happy to answer any questions he had, obviously pleased that his daughter had changed her mind.<p>

The large man had been visibly thrilled at the news when the boy came back to the Ox Kingdom to spent the night before Bulma's wedding. Bulma and Pansy had taken over Capsule Corp eariler that day, recruiting Chichi to help them get everything perfect for the wedding and tossing all the boys other then Trunks out on their ears. Gohan and Dr. Briefs took their eviction with grace, but Vegeta was far less happy about it. The saiyan had thrown a royal fit until Bulma pulled him away for five minutes. When the warrior returned, he had grudgingly agreed to give Bulma her way, much to the relief and amusement of the others. Dr. Briefs then took Vegeta away for what he cheerfully called a 'good, old fashion bachelor party' with Krillen, Master Roshi and a few of the other guys, but Chichi strictly forbade Gohan from having any part of celebrating with the men, instead shipping him back to her father's for safekeeping. Gohan didn't mind this much, since he knew he'd see everyone at the wedding anyways, and he wanted to ask his grandfather some questions without Chichi breathing down their necks.

"I can't tell ya too much. I didn't get ta study magic m'self since I'm a squib, but yer grandmother was really somethin' else. Chichi too, before Temari died and she started hatin' all the wiards." Ox King told Gohan when the boy started pressing him for information.

"What's a squib?" Gohan asked, having heard that word more then once by now, but only just now thinking to ask.

"Someone without any magic, who's gotta wizard parent." Ox King answered. "It doesn't happen much, but every once ina while ya get that. Anyways, both of my parents were half gaints too, so the chances of the Ministry of Magic lettin' me study even if I did have powers was really slim. Some 'a the people in the magic world don't really like anyone who ain't all human, if it's really obvious they're different."

"Why does it matter?" Gohan was baffled as to why something so trivial would bother people. Throughout his life, Gohan had made many friends of vastly different walks of life; humans, aliens, animals, and even gods. Some were more strange then others, but he loved and respected all of them, and the idea of someone treating his friends badly because they weren't human troubled the young boy quite a bit.

"It doesn't, but some people like ta make a big deal outta somethin' that shouldn't be an issue." Ox King said sagely. "Don't worry, though. Without yer tail, people won't realize ya ain't fully human. Heck, I always kinda thought yer father hadda run-in with a cranky witch who cursed him 'er somethin', before we found out about the saiyan thing." Gohan froze at his grandfather's words, realization sinking in and making the boy go cold with fear.

_That's right._ It dawned on the child. _I'm only half human, too._ Less than that, actually, if his grandfather was to be believed. What if this Ministry or whatever found out that he was part alien? Would he get in trouble? Would his mom?

"Um, if they find out I'm half-saiyan, what's going to happen?" Gohan asked worriedly, chewing on his lip as he fidgeted.

"Nothin', I expect." Ox King replied with a shrug. "I mean, if ya hurt someone, then there'd be trouble, but just havin' more then human blood in ya isn't enough ta get ya in ta hot water, m' boy. Aliens 'n stuff only land really here in Chikyuu, anyways. A side effect of the spell that protects this place from the resta the world."

"That's right, Professor Dumbledore said something about a barrier..." Gohan remembered suddenly, feeling a bit foolish for not having asked sooner.

"Yep. Chikyuu was all set up 'bout a thousand years ago by a wizard named Lord Damon, who wanted a place where all the creature 'n people that wizards 'n muggles- that's what they call people without magic, by the way- considered freaks could live without havin' ta worry 'bout nothin'. There's still a magic beacon that draws in people who ain't gonna be accepted in normal society, 's'why everythin' otherworldly lands here in Chikyuu. Dunno fer sure, but I think it's underneath Korin's Tower or somethin'... Anyways, that's why there's talking animals 'n lotsa other stuff here that ya don't see outside 'a Chikyuu. And then lotsa Muggles 'n Wizards who didn't fit in came too, 'n life here in Chikyuu became much different then whatcha see in the outside world. We've all lived 'n worked together fer so long now, no one thinks anyone else ain't normal, even if they're not human."

"If there's other wizards here in Chikyuu, then shouldn't there be a Wizard School here, too?" Gohan asked. It seemed strange to him that all kids his age with magic would have to travel all the way to England to learn to control their powers.

"They have a few fer the animal folk- Puar 'n Oolong used ta go ta one, a long time ago- but when they tried settin' one up fer wizards, it didn't work out so good. Too many people from too many different cultures, y'know? Sometimes that's a good thing, but sometimes it makes things messy, 'specially when it comes ta teachin' young'uns. People were fightin' bout pretty much everythin', makin' it impossible ta settle on one standardized method fer teachin' new wizards, 'n it woulda been way too complicated ta try 'n make a school for each one a the cultures, so Lord Damon set it up so that kids can go ta whatever school they wanna, anywhere else in the world. Normally, when a new wizard is found in Chikyuu, they get owls from all sorts 'a different wizards schools, totin' what makes the school great. In yer case though, yer grandmother's family's always traditionally gone ta Hogwarts, so the other places didn't even bother tryin' ta send ya a letter."

"Well then how come we've never seen any wizards or witches other than Baba?" Gohan asked. "I mean, with everything that goes on, I'm pretty sure we should've noticed something..."

"It's not surprisin' ya haven't seen anybody, actually. It ain't illegal fer wizards ta use magic 'round muggles here like it is in the outside world, but people still don't like ta show off too much. Mostly, they live out in the country side, away from all the Muggles in the city. It's never smart ta mix muggle technology 'n wizard magic, after all. Plus, when a lotta 'em go ta study, they start settin' up a life fer themselves out there 'r find someone they wanna marry er somethin'. Since travellin' in and outta Chikyuu all the time is a bit of a hassle, 'n it's almost impossible ta get new wizards 'n witches past the barrier, they'll usually end up leavin' Chikyuu behind. Most anyone who comes back here specializes in just one thing 'er another. Like Baba 'n her fortunetelling. I know some people who do a lot with healin' magic, 'n some who study magical creatures... Master Roshi's teacher was a wizard, actually. 'S how he managed ta seal away King Piccolo..."

"Is that why Piccolo knew about wizards?" Gohan wondered.

"Maybe. 'Magine that ol' Kami knew a lil about them, too." Ox King answered. "Ya oughta ask him yerself, though. Ya said he saw some 'a the signs when ya were training with him?"

"Um, yeah. Before I got better at protecting myself, I guess I used magic a lot when I was in danger." Gohan admitted sheepishly. Ox King chuckled heartedly at the confession.

"That happens with young wizards." Ox King assured him. "One time when Chichi was really little, she came pretty close ta blowin up the castle 'cause she thought there was a monster in her closet. Turned out ta be justa old ghoul playin' tricks, but it left a right mess. Took us three weeks ta clean up... 'S'why Temari made a special helmet fer yer mom, ta focus her powers without hurtin' everythin' around her. Chichi got better with her control when she started goin' ta Hogwarts though, 'n she didn't need it at all by the time Temari passed."

"Do you think I'll be any good at this magic stuff, Grandpa?" Gohan asked, a troubling though occuring to the young halfling. "I mean... it's not like learning science or math, right? And, it's not like fighting or using ki, either." Gohan didn't mind working hard at a new skill, but the fact of the matter was that he was pretty used to being good at almost everything he tried. He wasn't being boastful or arrogant, but realistically there were things Gohan did that no child his age should've been able to accomplish. Gohan knew that there weren't many other kids his age who not only studied Advanced Quantim Physics, but had their theories printed in Science Magazines. And even though he had only been studying martial arts for seven years now, he could already easily best warriors who had been fighting for almost three times that long. Vegeta or Piccolo could probably outsmart him as far as strategy went, but Gohan's strength would easily overwhelm even them if the half-saiyan ever truly fought them seriously.

This, though... this was something completely new, and scary. What if some of his mom's potion or whatever had worked, and he didn't have enough power to do whatever the other kids could? What if he went into the wizarding world and just made a complete idiot of himself? What if Chichi was right, and everybody hated him because he was different?

What if he wasn't good enough... again?

"From what I understand, ki is natural energy found in all livin' things, right? Magic... Magic is special. Kinda like blue hair, 'er bein' born withoutta nose, 'er havin' three eyes. 'Er maybe a monkey tail?" Gohan smiled weakly at the playful jest about the oddities that popped up among him and his more human friends, but worry still ate away at his stomach. "Magic does draw offa ki sometimes, fer the more advanced spells, but generally they're two seperate energies. But don't worry 'bout that, Gohan. Yer gonna be a brilliant wizard, I can pretty much guarentee it."

"Because mom and grandma were good?" Gohan guessed.

"Because yer a great kid, 'n even with all the craziness that goes on all 'round ya, ya never lost touch with the thing that makes ya great." Ox King corrected his grandson, tapping Gohan pointedly on the chest above his heart. "'n no matter what's goin' on, 'er what yer up against, you'll always be brilliant at everythin' ya try as long as ya remember ta just be yerself."

A Son grin threatened to split Gohan's face in two in response to his grandfather's words, filling him up with a confidence that he hadn't felt since his father's death.

Maybe he'd be able to do this after all...

* * *

><p>"I can't do this."<p>

"This feels a little backwards." Bulma complained as Chichi poured herself some more wine. "I mean, I'm the bride here, right? Shouldn't I be the one who's all jittery and second guessing myself at the last second?"

"Stop jokin' 'round, Bulma, this is serious!" Chichi griped. "I can't send Gohan off ta that school! Those monsters'll eat my poor, sweet baby alive!"

"...We are talking about the boy who turned Cell into space dust, right?"

"BULMA!"

"Chichi, you need to calm down." Bulma sighed. "Gohan's a strong, smart kid, who's more mature then pretty much all the rest of the gang put together. Discounting the occasional genocidal psychopaths, I don't think I've met a single person who doesn't love your kid, and if anyone in this magic school stupid enough to be the first and tries to hurt Gohan, then they'll just have to deal with a frying-pan wielding Tiger Mom, a Namekian who almost laid waste to all of Chikyuu, an assortment of other warriors who have dealt with several world ending crisises and a brilliant scientist with deadly accurate guns."

"Guns ain't much good against wizards." Chichi said flatly as she took a big gulp.

"I can get creative." Chichi faultered a moment at the absolute certaintly in Bulma's tone when she said that, setting her drink down to study the other woman more carefully. "Chichi, I know you think that I don't appreciate all the things Gohan's lost keeping us safe, but I really do. More then you know. Because of Gohan, my son doesn't have to grow up on a war savaged planet without any hope for the future. Hell, because of Gohan, my son CAN grow up instead of being murdered by some freak science experiment with the rest of humanity. He can know his mom and dad, and has a future where he can be anything he wants. Gohan did that for Trunks, Chichi. It's only fair that he gets the same in return."

"What 'r ya talkin' 'bout? Because 'a the fightin' 'n the space travel, Gohan lost years that he coulda spent with his father." Chichi pointed out sharply. "'n now that Goku's dead-!"

"What about you?" Bulma asked knowingly. "Gohan's right, Chichi. You've been hiding a big part of yourself for a long time now, something that you can share with your son the way that Goku shared martial arts with him. You're not going to try and tell me that you don't want to show him some of those cool spells and potions that you know and have him look at you the same way he does Goku and Piccolo when they're showing off those fancy fighting moves, right?" Chichi stilled at that.

Much as she did hate to admit it, that thought was tempting. Chichi did sort of envy the connection Gohan had with her husband and his friends, like they had a world that just they were a part of. A world she couldn't really fit in to herself, which left her standing on the wayside worrying about her family's safety every time things threatened to fall to pieces. Though her own experiences with the art were impressive by the standards of most humans, fighting wasn't something that Chichi had a talent for the way that Goku and Gohan and even that demonic Piccolo did.

Magic, on the other hand...

"It ain't worth it." Chichi said firmly, stamping down her selfish desires to impress her son. "I'm not puttin' my son in harm's way fer the chance ta show off a few spells."

"Suit yourself." Bulma said, shrugging. "I really wouldn't recommend breaking your word, though. You know how Gohan is. Nine times out of ten he's willing to put up with pretty much anything for the sake of making other people happy, but when that kid finds something he really wants to do, he'll do everything in his power to go for it a hundred and twenty percent. And Gohan's got a LOT of power at his disposal." Chichi's shoulders sagged a bit at the genius' point, knowing it to be all too true. "He's going to go to this school, Chichi, even if you don't want him to. The best way to keep him safe while he's there is to make sure he's strong enough to protect himself from all those monsters you hate so much. At least if you're showing him a few things on top of whatever he learns at this school, then you'll know he's learning something worthwhile, something he can use to protect himself if someone or something ever tries to harm him." Chichi brightened at that suggestion.

"Now that 'cha mention it, there are a few things I can show 'im that'll make anyone who tries ta hurt 'im regret it real fast!" Chichi realized, giving a rather frightening grin for someone who was still considered pure enough to ride Nimbus. "Maybe a good Blasting Curse'll keep those thugs from messin' with my baby!"

"There, see? Silver lining!" Bulma said cheerfully, inwardly cackling at her cunning. Bulma wasn't as strong or as scary as Chichi, but she was far, far craftier then the straightfoward and emotional Princess of the Ox Kingdom. She knew which buttons she had to push to get the younger mother fired up and working with her rather then against her, which was something the guys had a lot of trouble with in regards to Chichi. Bulma had no qualms about using this ability to keep Chichi from backing off of her promise to send Gohan to the school. Especially not when she could so easily imagine how excited Goku would've been at the thought of his son and wife being able to use magic. Bulma would've bet millions that the big, lovable dope would've started collecting rabbits in the hopes that his son would learn to pull them out of hats or something, and a part of her ached at the knowledge that such a display would never take place. Helping Gohan follow whatever path he wanted to take was the least that Bulma could do out of respect for Goku.

Besides, she was pretty curious about all this magic stuff herself...

The sharp ringing of the phone cut off Bulma's musings of all the ways she could exploit Gohan's new magical status, making the blue haired woman sigh heavily as she pulled herself to her feet.

"I hope that's not my dad or Vegeta again." Bulma griped as she trotted over to answer the phone. Chichi barely heard her, too busy making a mental list of all the spells that would be able to protect her son. While she was at it, maybe she'd update all the spells around her home that were meant to keep the family safe, since they had obviously worn off some six odd years ago...

_Might as well give that ol' pervert at Kame House a few well deserved jinxes too, while I'm at it. _Chichi thought darkly, fire flashing in her eyes as she thought of all the bad karma that Master Roshi was long overdue for.

"Oh, Doctor White! We've been waiting for your call!" Bulma said happily, Chichi frowned a bit at the mention of the quack that Bulma had forced her to see, the one who had created the opening to Gohan that Dumbledore had jumped on like a starving saiyan.

_I oughta have a few words with him before he sinks his claws inta Gohan, too._ Chichi vowed silently. Dumbledore might have been able to ignore her requests for his letters to stop thanks to some silly old law, but even the heavens wouldn't be able to save the man from Chichi's wrath if he put Gohan into the same sort of danger her mother had often flown off into whenever Dumbledore sent word to her. Chichi wasn't some starry-eyed ten year old who thought that Dumbledore was some infallable defender of justice anymore, and she wasn't going to let him delude Gohan into being a sacrificial lamb for some 'greater good.'

"W-what?! Are you sure?!" Bulma sputtered into her phone, unheard by the plotting mother as she took another gulp of her wine.

Her Gohan was a clever boy though, so he wouldn't fall for Dumbledore's tricks the way she had. And if there was even a hint of Voldemort popping back up into the wizarding world, she'd take Gohan back and barricade the doors, simple as that. No way was she going to lose the last thing she had to live for to some monster with a magic wand. Nothing would harm her son as long as she was around, not Dumbledore, not Voldemort, and certainly not the aliens, robots, and bad science experiments that always popped up in Chikyuu to have their asses handed to them on a silver platter by her family.

"Y-yes... I will... thank you, doctor, I'll tell her right away! Yes, you too. Goodbye." Seconds after the phone clicked off, Chichi found the glass of wine she'd been nursing ripped away from her so quickly that it took her a moment to realize what had happened.

"Bulma? What's gotten inta ya now?" The dark haired woman asked, confusion and annoyance warring for dominance on her face. Bulma ignored this completely, looking very much like a cat who had just caught the canary.

This was gonna be good...

"Hey, Chichi, you know that cold you've had for the past few weeks? The one you kept insisting was nothing? Funny story about that..."


	4. Dragon Heart

_"Chikyuubei"_

"English"

_Thoughts_

**Chapter 4- Dragon Heart**

Gohan had seen battles so bloody, that they would scar men three times his age for life. He had met aliens and Gods, and stared into the face of some of the most evil beings in the galaxy. He had been brought to the brink of death, and had seen those he loved step over that threshold and into the world beyond. He had experienced wonders so fantastic that most people would believe it to be a work of fiction.

But he'd never, _ever_ seen anything like Diagon Alley.

He'd never been so excited to be shopping before in his life. Everything was so familiar and yet so alien at the same time. A bank run by goblins and filled with strange, gold coins instead of paper zeni. Shops filled with all sorts of mystical tools and ingredients, which sold things like flying broomsticks and self-stirring cauldrons alongside quills and herbs. A tailor who made robes the likes of which he had only ever seen in pictures, who took a shine to Gohan and gave him a discount on the midnight blue cloak he had gotten instantly attached to because it reminded him of Piccolo. Even Chi-chi's dark mood and bitter mutterings couldn't dampen his amazement at the completely new and incredible world before him. A world which he was now set to be a part of.

Though it certainly didn't stop her from trying her best.

_"I'm not gonna tell ya again ta keep up, Son Gohan."_ She snapped in their native tongue. Though she actually spoke English better then her son, Chi-chi hadn't spoken to anyone but Gohan since they set foot in Diagon Alley, forcing Gohan to translate his mother's words to whoever they were speaking to. It was a little childish of her, but Gohan remained patient with the prideful woman since he was still grateful that she wasn't making things as difficult as she could if she put her mind to it. _"We have a long flight back home, 'n we still need ta buy yer books 'n yer wand. Not ta mention I'm gonna need ta stop somewhere fer a broomstick that preforms better then my old Nimbus 1500. I want ta be able ta get back out here fast when somethin' happens."_

_"Nothing's going to happen, Mom." _Gohan reassured his mother for the umpteenth time.

_"I wouldn't believe that even if I didn't hate wizards with every fiber of my being, Gohan." _Chi-chi scoffed, rolling her eyes. _"Our family's been cursed that way. Why, look at everythin' you've already been through! And yer only eleven, fer cryin' out loud!"_

_"It hasn't been that bad."_ Gohan said, feeling the need to defend his childhood, only to flinch at Chi-chi's flat look. _"…Well, except for all the people who ended up dying or trying to kill everyone. But at least we've made plenty of good friends, right? I mean, they weren't even that surprised when I told them I was going to a school to learn magic."_

_"That's not helpin' yer case, Gohan."_ Chi-chi pointed out with an exasperated sigh. _"It ain't a good sign when Goku's friends are more surprised that I'm pregnant again than they are about the fact that there's magic in the family." _Gohan grinned a little at that, remembering all too well the reaction of the group when Bulma had let it slip that Chi-chi was expecting at dinner after her wedding to Vegeta.

The resulting celebration (which included drunken toasts to Goku for being a sly dog who could still surprise them even after his death) lasted well into dawn, and definitely eclipsed the responses everyone had had to the revelation of Gohan's magical heritage. In fact, the only real reaction that had gotten from the group was a couple of taunts about pointed hats and long white beards and a few jests about Gohan abandoning them now that they were getting too old to hang out with him anymore. Still, everyone had been happy for Gohan and wished him the best at Hogwarts. Krillen even promised to fly out to the school and set any magical bullies straight if they gave Gohan a hard time, which had gotten a laugh out of nearly everyone present.

_"Actually, I think that proves that we've been blessed, not cursed."_ Gohan informed his mother warmly. _"After all, we have friends who will accept us no matter how different we are. That's a pretty special thing to have, if you ask me."_

_"I'd rather have peace and prosperity." _Chi-chi grumbled, though the smile she fought to hide told Gohan that she didn't mean it. _"Still, I want ta look into a new broom. Just fer my own peace of mind, if nothin' else."_

_"If you want, I can go buy my books on my own and you can go broom shopping. That should save us some time, right? You can just come get me at the bookstore when you're done. It probably won't take me long to find what I need for school, and I can use the extra time to find a few books for myself." _Chi-chi considered her son's proposal for a moment before sighing.

_"Fair enough."_ She decided. _"Just promise ya won't buy any books about dragons 'n we have a deal."_

_"Promise!"_ Gohan agreed obediently, grinning as he darted ahead to Flourish and Blotts.

_"'N don't talk ta any strangers!"_ Chi-chi called after his retreating form. Gohan waved a hand in acknowledgement that he'd heard her before stepping into the bookstore, inhaling deeply as the door shut behind him and feeling the tension melt away at the familiar scent of paper and ink. If he was completely honest with himself, this was the shop he'd been looking forward to visiting the most. His friends back home might've teased him about being a little on the nerdy side, but Gohan still loved the unique magic of literature.

He was probably at more of a disadvantage then most of his classmates since he was both new to magic and English wasn't his first language, though he was better at reading it then he was at speaking so hopefully he wouldn't struggle too much with the language gap. He also planned to use the time before his classes started in September to review all his books throughly and look up anything that he didn't understand.

_Maybe I can even get Mom to help me._ Gohan thought. It was a long shot considering her obvious distaste for magic, but Chi-chi's English was flawless, a thing both Goku and Gohan had always marveled about the woman. As a very young child, Gohan used to beg his mother to read him children books and fairytales in English, awed by how easy it was for her. That had been years and years ago though, before Raditz or the Saiyans or Namek. Back when it was just him, Mom and Dad on Mt. Paozu.

The memory of those days now filled Gohan with a bittersweet nostalgia.

"Can I help you?" Someone interjected, drawing the half-saiyan out of his thoughts to focus on the young wizard manning the cash register.

"Yes." Gohan answered in English. "I am going to Hogwarts in November. I would like to buy books for school."

"Oh?" The man said curiously. "Are you a first year?"

"Yes, sir." Gohan answered with a nod, feeling more then a little self-conscious at his imperfect English. He was definitely going to have to practice before heading to school…

"We keep a table of books for first year Hogwarts students near the back of the store. Here, follow me and I'll show you the way. I need to check and see if anything needs to be restocked, anyways."

"Thank you." Gohan said gratefully, smiling as he followed the man.

"Did you and your family just move to England, or are you commuting from somewhere else?" The man asked as he led Gohan past rows and rows of books about curses, charms and potions.

"Commuting." Gohan answered. "I am from Chikyuu." That got him a low whistle from the clerk.

"We don't see many people from Chikyuu out this way." He said. "Usually, you guys keep to yourself."

"I wanted to go to school." Gohan explained. "My mother went to Hogwarts."

"No kidding? Oh, here we are. All the books on your list should be right here." And there they were indeed. Gohan grinned happily as he picked out the books he needed, tucking them under his arm.

"Thank you." Gohan said again, earning a chuckle from the man.

"No problem. Is there anything else you need?"

"I would like some history books, please. Also anything for someone who does not know much about magic."

"You mean like Muggle-born stuff?" The wizard said, looking confused. "I thought you said that your mom is a witch?"

"She is." Gohan confirmed. "But she did not tell that to me until after I got my letter. I want to learn more before going to school."

"Really? That must've been awkward." The clerk said, shaking his head. "But we got a couple of books that might be able to help you. Let's see what we can dig up, okay?"

The next half an hour was spent browsing through the seemingly endless titles that the bookstore stocked. By the time Gohan finally found himself at the cash register he'd acquired not only his schoolbooks, but about five history texts (_Hogwarts; A History, Speak No Evil (The History of the Wizarding War and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named), History's Mysteries of Magic, 1,000 Influential Witches and Wizards, _and_ Behind the Magic Barrier; Secrets of the Hidden Continent_), three introductory-level spell books (_Silly Spells to Entertain Your Friends, The Quick Guide to Spell Casting, _and _The Beginner's Spell Book_) and a handful of others that the clerk recommended in response to Gohan's questions or interests (_Perfecting Potions, A Muggle-Born's Guide to Magic, The Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, Magical Plants and Herbs, _and_ Science and Magic; The Best of Both Worlds_).

"You sure you can read all that, kid?" The clerk asked as he rang Gohan up, earning a grin from the half-saiyan.

"I will try." He responded cheerfully as he handed over the proper amount of money, relieved that his mother had given him so much as a precaution. The foreign currency still didn't make much sense to him, but it was easy enough to count out and hand over the proper number of coins when prompted.

With his books bought, Gohan figured that he could kill some time waiting for his mother by sitting in the arm chair the store had placed near the window and getting a head start on his reading. On his way there though, Gohan found himself noticing a small, bushy-haired brunette around his age who was straining to try and reach a book on one of the upper shelves.

"Would you like some help?" Gohan asked her, setting his bags down. The unexpected question startled the girl, which caused her to upset the bookcase and sent a stack of heavy texts balanced precariously at the top of the case plummeting down towards her head. Immediately, the brunette threw her arms up over her head to protect herself from an injury which, to her undying surprise, never occurred.

Lowering her arms, the young witch looked around in confusion before finally noticing Gohan at her side, the fallen books intercepted and tucked safely under his arm. The girl's eyes widened to the size of saucers at the obvious save.

"How did you-?!" She began to ask, glancing from the books to Gohan with visible confusion.

"Magic." Gohan answered with what he hoped was a convincing smile.

"Oh." The girl didn't look as though she bought the explanation, but let the matter rest as Gohan set the books down on a free shelf nearby. "Well, thank you then, I suppose."

"You wanted a book?" Gohan reminded the girl, motioning to the bookshelf in front of them. "Which one?"

"Um, _Your Wand and You_, by Anastasia Archot, but it's all the way near the top." The girl said, pointing to the book in question. Nodding, Gohan bent his knees a little and gave a light jump, careful not to go so high as to make anyone suspicious. Grabbing the book the girl had singled out, Gohan returned to the earth and held it out to the brunette with a wide, friendly grin. The girl's eyes lit up as she took the book from his hand, hugging it close to her chest. "Thank you so much!" She exclaimed gratefully.

"You are welcome." Gohan returned warmly, bowing politely to the girl before collecting his bags once more. The girl watched him curiously as he prepared to leave, only to make a startled noise when she noticed some of the books he had in his bags.

"Are you starting your first year at Hogwarts soon?" She asked excitedly, pointing to the bag with his school texts.

"Yes. I will go there this November." Gohan replied, tilting his head at the girl like a confused puppy as she gave a cry of excitement.

"Me too!" She declared, beaming at Gohan brightly. "Oh, I can't believe I met another first year! I was so sure that everyone else had already bought all their books and I was behind! My mother couldn't bring me out here until today, you know. She's a dentist, you see, and she couldn't clear her schedule to take me shopping for all of my supplies. I'm actually the first person in my family to have any magic. It all seems so amazing doesn't it? I can't wait until the school year starts and we get to start studying at Hogwarts!" Gohan really didn't know how to reply to all that. He was still trying to think of a response when the girl started talking again. "By the way, do you know what House you're going to be in yet? I'm rather partial to Gryffindor myself, but Ravenclaw seems like it would be lovely, too. Oh, I haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Hermione Granger. And you are?"

"Son Gohan." Gohan answered before he could stop himself. Flushing brightly, the boy hastily corrected himself. "I mean, Gohan Son. Sorry, I'm not used to introducing myself the way you do here in England."

"Where are you from?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Chikyuu." Gohan answered.

"I've never heard of anyplace like that before. Is it in the Wizarding Community?"

"No. It is a continent in the Atlantic Ocean that has been hidden from the rest of the world. I think here it is better known as Atlantis."

"Atlantis?! Really?!" The girl gasped in wonder. "What's it like there? Are there many differences from the rest of the world?"

"Many." Gohan confirmed. "Magic is not hidden there, and there is greater science and technology and many different kinds of people."

"Oh, it sounds lovely!" Hermione gasped. "But… wouldn't it make more sense for you to go to school there, rather then at Hogwarts?"

"There are no magic schools on Chikyuu." Gohan explained with a shrug. "We go to other schools instead. My mother went to Hogwarts, and I am too."

"But if magic isn't hidden, then-?"

"There are not many professional witches and wizards still living on Chikyuu." Gohan admitted to the girl. "The only one I know is Baba. But there are many magic artifacts and creatures. Like Kinto'un and Nyoi-bo."

"Are there any books about Chikyuu that I could read?" Hermione asked, eyes aglow with excitement. "It sounds fascinating, and I really want to learn as much as I can about the magical world before I go to Hogwarts. That's why I'm getting this wand book, you see. I just got my wand at Ollivander's, and I found the whole process so interesting that I just had to learn more about it. Have you gotten your wand yet?"

"Not yet." Gohan said, shaking his head in the negative. "I will be going there next." Looking at the girl thoughtfully for a moment, Gohan began fishing through his bag before finally finding his copy of _Behind the Magic Barrier_. Grinning, he held the book out to Hermione. "Here. You can read this. It is about Chikyuu."

"Oh, but I couldn't just take one of your books!" Hermione protested.

"There are no problems. You can give it back at Hogwarts." Gohan assured the girl cheerfully. Hermione bit her lip as she studied the book Gohan was offering her before suddenly brightening.

"Hang on, I have an idea!" She declared happily. Grabbing Gohan's arm, she dragged the startled half-saiyan to the cash register where she slammed _Your Wand and You_ down on the counter hard enough to make the clerk jump in surprise. "May I purchase this book now, please?" Hermione demanded.

"Oh, um, of course." The young wizard answered, looking a little confused as he rang her up. He didn't even have time to tell her the final price before Hermione practically shoved the money in his face and reclaimed the book she just bought. Turning back to Gohan with a pleased look on her face, Hermione held out _Your Wand and You_. "Here. We'll exchange for now, and then switch back when we get to school. That way, everything is fair."

"Alright." Gohan agreed, handing her his book and taking the one she offered in return. It hadn't mattered to him to get a book in return for the one he was loaning her, but if it made Hermione feel better then he had no problem with the exchange. Hermione certainly looked pleased with herself too, as she tucked _Behind the Magic Barrier_ under her arm. Just then, Gohan sensed his mother approaching the store, having apparently finished her broom shopping. Gathering his bags, Gohan offered one last smile to Hermione. "It was nice to meet you, but I have to go now. I will see you at Hogwarts?"

"Of course!" Hermione responded with a light laugh, earning a grin from Gohan in return.

"Take care of yourself then, Miss Hermione." Gohan said politely before heading to the door, more excited then ever to be heading to Hogwarts in the fall.

It seemed like making friends his own age wasn't going to be as hard as he thought…

* * *

><p><em>"I almost forgot how creepy it is in here…" <em>Chi-chi grumbled as she glanced around the wand maker's shop. Despite his inherit optimism, Gohan couldn't help but agree with his mother's assessment of the dark, depressing store they had entered.

It unnerved Gohan more then a little how all the sounds and chaos of Diagon Alley seemed to disappear as though the wand shop was on a completely separate plane of existence from the rest of the shopping district, leaving an eerie silence broken only by the soft footfalls of the half-saiyan and his mother. The store was dusty, and there was a disorienting feel of power in the air that made Gohan's instincts as a fighter go mad. Not ki but _magic_, ancient and mysterious and unlike anything Gohan had experienced before in his life.

There was also the distinct feeling of eyes watching him from the shadows.

Zeroing in on the source, Gohan frowned at a dark corner near the back of the shop, warily stepping in front of his mother even though the ki he felt was quite weak. If Dumbledore was any kind of indication, that meant less than nothing in this world of magic. As if sensing the half-saiyan's agitation, the source of the ki stepped out of the shadows slowly, taking care not to spook the young warrior into acting.

He was an elderly man, though probably a little younger then Dumbledore. Everything about him was pale, from his white hair and pasty skin to his eyes, which reminded Gohan of a ghost. It didn't help that he made practically no sound when he moved, something that the fighter in Gohan really disliked. The only time something moved so silently was when it was preparing to attack.

"New customers, I see." Though he spoke quietly, his voice carried as though he was shouting, making Gohan fidget uncomfortably. "Welcome, welcome. Are you here for your first wand, then?"

"Yes, sir." Gohan answered, bowing politely.. "I am So- Gohan Son. I start my first term at Hogwarts in November, and would like to buy a wand."

"Ah, I see." The man said, ghosting forward to look at Gohan more carefully before turning his attention to the boy's mother, who had seated herself in a nearby chair and seemed determined to ignore him. "And you were brought here by Chi-chi Gyumao, were you? It's quite a surprise to see you again, my lady. It's been years since you purchased your wand from me. Cherry Blossom, 12 ½ inches, Phoenix Feather. Graceful, and excellent for defensive spells. Any chance it's still in your possession?"

"I threw that thing away years ago." Chi-chi said curtly as she used her foot to discreetly move her purse (which held her usual things, along with some wizarding money, a baby catalog and her favorite frying pan) out of view. "I haven't had any use for it."

"Ah. What a pity. It was a lovely wand." The old wizard sighed before turning his attention back to Gohan. _"But enough reminiscing. Let's see about getting you matched up with a wand, shall we? Wand arm out, please."_ The half-saiyan jumped a little at the sudden switch from English to Chikyuubei.

_"You speak-?!"_

_"Yes, yes, I'm familiar with a number of different languages, my dear boy." _The wizard said, waving his wand dismissively in Gohan's direction, which produced a roll of measuring tape which more or less attacked the young hybrid. Hesitantly, Gohan held out his right arm for measurement, watching in amazement as the tape flitted about measuring his arm, individual fingers, shoulders and, far more strangely, earlobe and nostrils. _"Ollivander is the leader in wands and wand-making, spanning back generations. We take great care to select only the best woods and wand cores, which come from all over the world, Chikyuu included."_

_"Get on with it, Ollivander._" Chi-chi snapped shortly. _"We gotta long trip back home, 'n we don't need ta listen ta ya brag about yer pedigree."_

_"No need to be so impatient, Chi-chi." _Ollivander sniffed as he began to pull random boxes off of shelves. _"You know these things take time."_ Waving his wand once more, Ollivander made the measuring tape fall into a heap at Gohan's feet as he deposited the boxes on a nearby table. _"Let's give this one a try first, shall we? 9 inches, Phoenix Feather and Oak. Useful for quick spell-casting. Go ahead and give it a wave, then."_ Gohan accepted the wand, but it had barely been in his hand for more then a second before Ollivander snatched it back. _"No? Very well. Fir. Unicorn Hair. 14 ½ inches. Very reliable." _Gohan had barely raised the wand before Ollivander took it away. _"Not that one either, then. Alright, let's try this…"_

On and on it went like this. Gohan didn't know what Ollivander was waiting for, but after a hundred rejected wands he was starting to fear that they would never find it. It didn't help that Chi-chi was getting angrier and angrier with each rejected wand. In comparison, Ollivander looked as though he was having the time of his life. He even laughed outright when Gohan recoiled the first time Ollivander offered him a wand with a dragon heartstring core.

_"Don't worry, my boy."_ He assured Gohan cheerfully when the boy demanded to know how he came by dragon heartstrings. _"The dragons all died of natural causes. There aren't many spells that can wound such powerful creatures, let alone kill them. Besides, on the rare occasions that someone does manage to slay a dragon, their hearts are generally useless for wand cores. I only ever made one wand with a dragon heartstring core from a dragon that died at the hands of another. I wasn't made aware of it's cause of death until too late, and the wand I made turned out too violent and powerful to ever be handled by anyone. I assure you, the dragons who's heartstrings provide power to these wands all perished cruelty-free."_

Gohan still couldn't bring himself to be completely happy about that (He kept picturing Icarus every time Ollivander handed him a dragon heartstring wand, which made him feel incredibly guilty) but reluctantly accepted it nonetheless. His hands weren't exactly bloodless, after all, so he wasn't really in a position to judge the wizards for such a thing even if he didn't agree with it.

Not that such a thing ever stopped Chi-chi.

_"Is this some kinda joke ta ya, Ollivander?!"_ Chi-chi growled out irritably as yet another wand was rejected. Gohan's arm was actually starting to get tired from the repeated abuse, something that hadn't happened since he was a child training under Piccolo. _"Ya know we have a long flight back to Chikyuu. Why are ya wastin' our time like this?!"_

_"Patience, Chi-chi."_ Ollivander dismissed happily. _"There's a match here somewhere. We just have to find it."_

_"I'm gonna take a _**lit**_ match to this store if you-!"_ The rest of Chi-chi's threat was drowned out by a sudden, violent explosion from one of the store rooms, which knocked the mother off her feet and would've sent Ollivander sprawling as well, had Gohan not caught him.

"What the devil?!" Ollivander said, reverting back to English in his surprise. As soon as he recovered from the shock, the old wizard whisked off to the store room the blast had originated from, a wary Gohan at his heels in case something went wrong.

The room was an absolute mess. Wands and boxes laid scattered everywhere, some still smoldering from the explosion. Portions of the wall had been charred black, which helped to determine that the blast had originated from a heavily locked chest situated near the back of the room. Though the fact that there was still a faint glow from the chest was very condemning as well in that regard.

_"What happened?"_ Gohan asked, bending down to gather the fallen wands with a worried frown before someone could step on one and break it. _"Did something go wrong?"_

_"Of course something went wrong!"_ Chi-chi shouted, sounding near hysterical. _"That's the last straw! We're leaving right this instant! Let's go, Gohan!"_ Gohan was about to try and reason with his mother (difficult though the task may have been) when a sharp intake of breath from Ollivander drew his attention back to the old wandmaker.

_"Mr. Ollivander?"_ the half-saiyan questioned in concern. The wizard's pale eyes turned to Gohan, studying him with such intensity that it unnerved the young warrior.

_"Wait here a moment, please."_ Ollivander finally requested, his tone serious and urgent.

_"Are ya mad?!"_ Chi-chi hissed. _"That explosion-!"_

_"It won't happen again, Chi-chi. Just please wait here. I'll return in a moment." _The wizard promised before darting out of the room. True to his word, he returned shortly after with a ring of keys clutched in one hand and a pair of leather gloves in the other.

Making his way to the glowing chest, Ollivander crouched down in front of it, undoing each of the locks one after another. Some of them must've been magic, since they required certain actions from the wizard's wand. For one of them, Ollivander even had to whistle a tune which sounded suspiciously like The Itsy Bitsy Spider. It took Ollivander a full five minutes to undo each lock, after which he pulled on the gloves and carefully eased the chest open. The glow subsided as Ollivander slowly reached his gloved hands inside the chest, drawing out it's contents as if it were a live bomb that could explode at any moment. The old wizard even appeared to be holding his breath as he turned back around to face Gohan and Chi-chi, never taking his eyes off of the wand in his hands.

_"Bamboo. 17 ½ inches. Dragon heartstring core. _**Very**_ powerful."_ Ollivander said warily as he carefully held the wand out to Gohan.

_"Oh no, yer NOT givin' that thing to my son!"_ Chi-chi said, clearly off-put by how cautiously the wandmaker handled the tool. _"We're leavin' NOW. Let's go- Gohan?!"_

The half-saiyan didn't hear his mother's fearful query, stepping forward as if in a trance. He could sense something from the wand in Ollivander's hand ever since the wizard opened the chest. Not just something powerful, but familiar as well. Oblivious to Chi-chi's alarmed protests, Gohan grasped the wand Ollivander was offering him.

The minute his fingers brushed against the wood, Gohan felt a sense of completion. Like he'd found a part of himself he never knew was missing. Power seemed to surge from the wand into Gohan's body, and he finally got a sense of what magic truly was. Raising the wand above his head, Gohan brought it down in a brilliant arch of light, which momentarily blinded everyone present. When the spots cleared from their eyes, everyone was stunned to find that the damage caused by the explosion had been fixed, and all the misplaced wands were properly stored once more.

_"Well, it looks as though we've finally found our match." _Ollivander said, breaking the stunned silence that had fallen over everyone._ "Well done, Mr. Son. Well done indeed."_ Gohan barely heard the praise, too overwhelmed by the strange feeling that he knew the power he could still feel pulsing from the wand. That he'd felt something similar before.

_"What is this wand?" _Gohan asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the magic tool to look at Ollivander once more. The man considered him silently for a moment before answering.

_"I told you before that I have received some components I use to make my wands from Chikyuu from time to time." _Ollivander finally answered, seeming to choose his words carefully. _"I also mentioned that there was but one Dragon who's heartstrings came to me after a violent death rather then passing through natural means."_ Gohan might not have understood much about magic yet, but he knew where this was going.

_"This is the wand you were talking about earlier, isn't it? The one no one could handle because it was too violent."_

_"Indeed. Even it won't even allow me to hold it very long, despite the fact that I created it. To be perfectly honest, I've always been a little afraid of that one. Afraid, and yet amazed at the same time. I always wondered, if paired with the right wizard, what that wand could accomplish."_

_"What do you know about the dragon the heartstring came from?" _Gohan demanded, more then a little uncomfortable with what Ollivander was implying. He knew where having incredible power had gotten him in the past, and he was honestly a little reluctant to go down that road again with magic.

_"Just what the witch who sold it to me told me about it."_ Ollivander said, frowning to himself. _"I didn't put much stock in her words at the time since it was all so unbelievable, but after the wand was made and started showing such incredible power, I started wondering if some of it was possibly true. _

_"Supposedly, the dragon who provided that heartstring was a unique and powerful magical creature who had been made a legend in Chikyuu. It slept, hidden away from the world, until brave a brave adventurer managed to complete some sort of task and called him forth. Then he would appear to grant that adventurer a single wish, anything that person's heart may desire. Apparently, one wicked man saw fit to kill the dragon after his wish was granted, after which- Mr. Son, are you alright?"_

Gohan was not alright. Gohan was as far from alright as it was possible to be and, judging by the crash somewhere behind him that was probably his mother fainting dead away, Chi-chi was right there with him.

He _knew_ this story. His father and the other warriors had told it to him hundreds of times, even though it had taken place long before his birth. King Piccolo murdering off skilled martial artist. The way he gathered the dragon balls and had granted his wish for youth. The way he then killed the dragon so that it's powers could not be used against him.

_That's why it felt familiar._ Gohan realized faintly as Ollivander rushed past him to check on Chi-chi. _The dragon who's heartstrings went in to making this wand was Shenron. The Shenron killed by King Piccolo._

And suddenly, the power that was quite literally right at the tip of his fingers felt painfully overwhelming.

* * *

><p>Both of the Sons were silent as they sat on the iron wrought bench, a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of Diagon Ally. Though the wand that had so greatly disturbed both Gohan and his mother had been packet in a box and tucked into one of the bags, the implications of it's presence was still weighting heavily on the two.<p>

Gohan had actually been a little surprised when Chi-chi did not protest when he purchased the wand. But then, it was possible that she felt the same way that he did. That, as dangerous and frightening as that kind of power was to have around, it was far more frightening to think of it falling into the hands of another who could go on to abuse it. Ollivander might not have believed in the story of the dragon balls or the power which Shenron had, but that didn't mean that others would share his skepticism. It was far safer to keep the wand close then risk someone discovering the truth and trying to obtain that kind of power for themselves.

_"It musta been Baba."_ Chi-chi said darkly, breaking the heavy silence at last. _"She's the only witch I know who keeps in touch with the magic community outta Chikyuu. What was she thinkin' bringin' that kind of thing ta Ollivander!"_

_"Should we tell the others?" _Gohan asked.

_"No."_ Chi-chi said. _"Not unless it becomes a problem. The less people who know this, the better. Just hope that ol' wandmaker can keep his trap shut…"_

_"How powerful do you think the wand really is?"_ Gohan asked, though he was a little afraid to know the answer.

_"Magic follows rules just as science does, Gohan."_ Chi-chi sighed solemnly. _"I grew up knowin' that ta be true. The Rule 'a Conjuration, The Rule Against Resurrection 'n The Rule Against Immortality… Shenron has granted wishes which have broken each 'n every one of these rules. He can create from nothing things which fit exact specifications, 'n which are as strong- or even stronger- then that which is made naturally. He brings the dead back to life 'n grants true immortality ta the ones who wish for it. I think it's safe ta say that yer wand is probably one of the most powerful on the planet."_

That was exactly what Gohan was afraid of.

_"But why would it choose me?" _Gohan wondered, frowning to himself.

_"Probably because yer more like Shenron then anything else in this world."_ Chi-chi theorized. _"I mean, Shenron is a magical dragon created by an alien race, and yer half-alien 'n half-wizard. It's safe ta say that a normal wizard wouldn't be able ta handle the kinda power Shenron's got ta offer, but someone like you could pull it off."_

_"You really think so?" _Gohan asked skeptically.

_"'Course I do. Yer a tough kid, Gohan. Tougher then I ever was at yer age. 'N you can bet that Shenron knows that just as well as I do." _Gohan gave a little chuckle at that. _"Now whaddya say we stop moping around in the awful place 'n get back home so I can start dinner, huh?"_

_"Sounds good to me."_ Gohan answered, grinning as he got to his feet and started to follow his mother back to the entrance of Diagon Alley.

That was when the wall exploded.

People screamed in terror as rock and debris rained down on them. Chi-chi didn't even have time to properly react before Gohan had pulled her down to the ground, shielding her the best he could from the flying rubble. As soon as the dust clear, the half-saiyan rolled to his feet and into a fighting position, prepared for anything that he might face.

Except for the strange, lion-headed monster that now stood before him.

_"What is that thing?!" _Gohan demanded, gaping at what looked like a mash up of different animals. Chi-chi gave a little gasp as she got back to her feet and saw the creature responsible for the attack.

_"It's a Chimaera!" _She said, face going pale. _"What's somethin' like that doin' around here?!"_

_"Chimaera?" _Gohan repeated, urging his mother to give him more information.

_"It's a magical creature. Head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a dragon. They're very dangerous, Gohan!"_

_"More dangerous then me?"_ Gohan asked. Chi-chi had to concede the point to her son there. Gohan winced as the Chimaera roared loudly before smashing through another shop, frowning in worry at all the witches and wizards who were trapped nearby. _"I have to stop it."_

_"Are you outta yer mind? Gohan, if ya go out there, people are gonna recognize you! Then what?! These people might be magic, Gohan, but fighting' like you do ain't any more normal here then it is with regular people back home!"_

_"What if I disguise myself?"_ Gohan asked hurriedly. If he didn't act fast, someone was going to get killed. The Chimaera was already heading towards a pair of girls his age who had been trapped after its initial attack.

_"'N how do ya plan ta do that, huh?"_ Chi-chi demanded. Stepping out of sight of the street, Gohan transformed into a super saiyan with a burst of golden light. Chi-chi looked less then please with her son's quick thinking, but sighed in defeat before fishing out the cloak he'd gotten from Madam Malkin, throwing it over him to better hide his features. _"Don't get yerself hurt, ya hear me?" _she said dourly. Gohan merely smiled brightly in response before disappearing from sight.

He then reappeared with a fist planted firmly into the side of the Chimaera's face, sending the monster flying just before it could kill a pair of frightened twin girls trapped by the fallen debris. The attack sent the Chimaera flying nearly ten feet away before it skidded to a painful stop along the cobblestone road.

Better make this fast. Gohan thought uneasily as the Chimaera shook off the surprise attack and climbed back to it's feet. Mom's right, I don't want anyone to recognize me.

Zeroing in on Gohan, the Chimaera growled when it realized that the young half-saiyan was his assailant, springing forward to attack. It was a lot faster then most of the animals Gohan knew back home, including the saber-toothed tigers and the Dinosaurs, but it was nowhere near the speed it would take to land a decent hit on the young warrior.

When the Chimaera lunged at Gohan with the intent to kill, Gohan easily stopped the attack with one hand, stunning the monster and everyone else present. One weak ki blast later, the creature was lying unconscious underneath what had once been a lovely fountain.

With the battle done, Gohan turned back to the twins who had nearly been killed by the monster, frowning a little when they both stiffened upon realizing that his attention was now on them. Approaching slowly so as not to frighten them any more then they already were, Gohan took hold of part of the wreckage which had trapped the girls, pulling it free to give the girls an easy escape route. Satisfied that his job was done, Gohan utilized his speed to disappear once more.

A few seconds later, he emerged from a blind alley, back in his base form with his cloak bundled up in his arms.

_"Time to go?"_ He asked his mom quietly as the witches and wizards around them began to recover from their shock.

_"Ya read my mind."_ Chi-chi said, grabbing her son by the elbow and rushing them towards the exit, both Sons careful not to make eye contact with anybody.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop a certain brunette from noticing their departure.

* * *

><p><strong><span>The8thDragonball<span>**- _I _**_swear_**_ this chapter was cursed or something. I had to write it _**three****times**_ before I finally got it done. It's probably for the best, since the first draft was much different then this one. I actually originally planned to open up with Bulma and Vegeta's wedding celebration, but after I lost my flash drive with that chapter I realized that that scene was unnecessary and that it detracted from the plot. So instead, I implied the wedding and focused on elements that were more important to the story instead. The biggest change from draft #2 (which got lost when my IPad decided to eat it or something) was the way that the scene between Gohan and Hermione played out. Again, I like this version a little better since it helps show both of their positive traits and paves the way better to a future friendship between the two. With that said, though, I'm just about ready to burst into tears of joy now that this chapter's finally done._

_The Shenron wand is something I had planned since before I started writing this chapter, because it's such a wickedly fun concept that I just couldn't ignore it. I mean, can YOU imagine what a wand like that is capable of? Poor Gohan's gonna have his hands full with that one, that's for sure. _'cue evil laugher' _For the sake of this story, we're going with the assumption that when Kami recreated Shenron, he literally made a new body for him since his old one got blown into itty-bitty pieces. This is why it is possible for Gohan's wand to have the heartstring of a dragon which is still technically alive. And yeah, the itty bitty pieces of Shenron's body disappeared after King Piccolo killed him, but we don't know where they went now, do we? Since Baba is a dimension-jumper capable of coming and going into the after-life as she pleases, I'm gonna assume she could track down Shenron's heart if she wanted to._

_And to end on a more personal note, I'm not sure if you guys are aware of the drama going on with my other stories, but I want to take a minute to say that I am NOT abandoning Lost and Found. A lot of people misinterpreted my author's comment in Teacher's Pet and thought the story was caput, but that's not the case at all. So please stop spamming me with messages about how I'm horrible and lazy and ought to be ashamed of myself, okay? Because I stand by what I said in Teacher's Pet. Aaaand now that all that's out of the way, I'm off to work on the next chapter of Hush Little Baby. Please leave a review if you enjoyed the update! (Or even if you didn't. I'm a big girl, I can handle it.)_


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